


The Devil's Suture

by orphan_account



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dance, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-26
Updated: 2016-02-24
Packaged: 2018-04-06 04:57:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 27,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4208781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alec has this great idea that if he learns the Argentine Tango, Jace will fall for his seductive moves and his dreams will be fulfilled. Though, he didn't know his dance instructor would be the undeniably attractive, jaw-dropping Magnus Bane, and he didn't know Jace would no longer be his focus after a lesson or two... (Thanks to tumblr user kingofsteles for this prompt idea!)</p><p>!!DISCONTINUED!!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Why am I doing this.
> 
> I'm so bad at updating multichapter fics. I apologize ahead of time.
> 
>  
> 
> **EDIT:**
> 
>  
> 
> Hey all, so if you're new to this fic, it has been discontinued. I planned on making this a long project but I just lost inspiration and moved on to other fandoms/ships and projects. I still love TMI and am watching Shadowhunters, and I mean, Malec is still a favorite, but I cannot draw up any feeling of motivation for this series anymore. I'm sorry ahead of time, but if you still want to read the 10 chapters I've made, feel free! And if you decide to write about the same AU or even continue off of this story, I'd LOVE to read it! Thanks for sticking around, everyone.

Scenario number one- Jace would meet a girl. He would really like this girl, and would take more... old-fasioned, not-so-Jace styles of seduction. Such as... dancing. He would ask Alec to practice with him, and Alec would be able to unleash his godly, sexy dancing abilities, and Jace would fall in love with him instead, and then they would tango all the way to the bedroom-

Alec coughed a bit, attempting to clear the color off his cheeks. His taxi was close now, so he shuffled through his gray hoodie, pulling out his wallet. They turned right onto Lafayette Street.

Scenario number two- Alec could pretend he met a girl. He would ask Jace to practice with him when Izzy wasn't home, because Jace would suggest he practiced with an actual girl instead. They would tango, and Jace would get jealous of the imaginary girl, and their tango would become more and more heated...

The cab pulled over, and Alec handed the money to the cab driver. With a quick nod of thanks, he slipped out of the car, standing before a tall, white building. 440 was written in a dull gold on the window- he knew he was at the right place.

He pulled out folded instructions from his back pocket. Third floor, room 3D. He scrambled through the doors, feeling a hot wave of embarrassment rush through him. He felt stupid, doing this, paying $60 for one-month unlimited Tango Classes for 55 minutes each, individual with a dance instructor, from the beginner level.

Once again, he mentally slapped himself. Alec Lightwood felt like an idiot.

He was an eighteen year old who just graduated from Sunset Park High School, the eldest of his siblings, with a love of sports and a job at Mr. C's Cycles. College was still a question and so was his sexuality. Possibly his sanity as well, due to the fact he's been crushing on his adoptive younger brother over the past two years, and that was certainly not normal.

Luckily, there was no one else in the elevator, and he stepped out onto the third floor of 440 Studios. He wandered to the left, finding room 3D easily. It was the first room to the left, to Alec's convenience.

His hand hovered over the door knob, but he paused. He hadn't even bothered to look at his instructor's name. Feeling embarrassed, he pulled out the sheet again, looking down at the details of his lesson.

'Class Level: Beginner

Instructor: Magnus Bane

Time of Day: 1 p.m.

Length of Class: 55 minutes

First Class: Friday, August 23rd'

 _Magnus Bane, huh?_ Alec thought. His instructor was a man. Not that it really bothered him, but it was too late to change it now. Sucking in his courage, Alec turned the knob.

He pushed open the door shyly, peering inside the rehearsal room. He heard the crystalline, clicking sounds of piano notes echoing through the room. Reflected on a mirror spread against one wall was a man seated at the piano, focused on the keys. Though, considering the room's emptiness, it was hard not to notice the slightest shift in movement.

Alec tensed a bit when the man looked up. It must've been Magnus- the name definitely suited the person before him. Amber eyes bordered in gentle whisks of eyeliner and dusted with eyeshadow caught his attention first. The notes flowing from the piano came to a gentle halt. Soon after, a bright smile was flashed to him.

"You must be Alexander Lightwood?" his voice had hints of an Indonesian accent, though it was humble, smooth. Alec stepped inside further, trying not to hunch too much as he closed the door behind him.

"Yes," he was having trouble speaking, heat trickling into his cheeks. Magnus was walking towards him, hand outstretched. Rings alined his blue, polish-tipped fingers. Alec shyly grasped the hand, shaking it before letting go swiftly.

"I'm your instructor, Magnus Bane," the man sanding before him spoke politely. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Alec dared himself to meet this man's eyes, feeling nervousness bubble low in his stomach. He was tall, attractive and undeniably homosexual. He knew he was blushing, and he couldn't quite place his finger on why, but the man before him was stunning. He couldn't deny that much.

"U-um, you too," Alec responded after gawking. Humiliation filled him from head to toe, and he lowered his gaze. Magnus chuckled softly, adding to the heat collecting in Alec's face.

"Shall we begin?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first lesson.

Magnus turned slightly, his shoes clicking against the gray floor of the studio. Alec noticed how the purple dress shirt he was wearing fit him quite nicely, as well as the black dress pants on his hips...

"How much experience do you have, Alexander?" Magnus asked, then stopped, smiling a bit at Alec, who hadn't moved an inch. "You can come over here."

Alec nodded awkwardly, stuffing his papers back in his pocket and following over, shoulders rounded inwards and head ducked slightly. "Um, I really haven't ever danced before... besides basic slow-dancing at weddings with my little sister but..."

"That's alright," Magnus assured him, "This is a beginner class." He reached forward, placing one hand on Alec's shoulder and grasping the opposite hand. Alec squeaked a bit, flinching in surprise as heat sparked throughout his body. Magnus froze.

"I'm sorry if I startled you," He began to apologize. Alec shook his head and slowly lifted one arm to rest it on Magnus's shoulder. Their eyes met for a moment and Alec looked away as quickly as he could.

"There are two types of tangos," Magnus began, "Ballroom Tango and Argentine Tango. In this class, we're learning Argentine Tango. It's much more seductive, fluid, and sexy." He seemed to purr these words, much to Alec's discomfort. Blood rushed to his cheeks, but he nodded to show he was listening. "First thing is first, Alexander. Posture. It's the way the two partners move with steadiness, and balance. Therefore, you cannot be tense. Relax, lovely. Feet together, and take a deep breath."

Alec felt another rush of heat flush through him. _Lovely?_ He swallowed but managed to drop his shoulders a bit, and loosen his muscles. He still would glance from side to side nervously, but after swallowing away some of his anxiety, he slid his feet together and nodded.

Magnus felt Alec's muscles relax on his back, with subtle admiration for how well-built his student was. Not to mention the combination of dark hair and gorgeous blue eyes- an hour with this beauty was definitely worth his time.

"Now, move with me, side to side," Magnus spoke lowly, gently beginning to rock them back and forth. "We will do this in the beginning of every class. It's a mechanism for relaxation, and will make all movements easier." Alec nodded, flustered over the lack of space between them, but managed to calm his body.

"Do you participate in any sports?" Magnus asked as they continued to pace from side to side. Alec seemed to perk up at the question.

"Yes, at school, I was on the track team and the cross country team, and I also enjoy to play hockey, and sometimes soccer," he spoke quickly, excitedly, and Magnus found this quite endearing.

"I see," he wouldn't reveal how he was checking out Alec, necessarily- this boy was obviously in the closet- but Magnus did have reasons for what he said. "So, think of this like a warm-up. You wouldn't go running a race in cross country without stretching, correct?" Alec nodded. "This is the same. You stretch your muscles so you don't injure yourself during physical activity, and dancing can be the same. If you are tense, you can tear muscles easily."

Once Alec was calm, Magnus stopped their movements. Alec had to register this before pausing. "We're going to learn the simple tango walk." He broke away from Alec, walking away from him, and Alec felt a surprising lack of essence around him. He had gotten so used to Magnus around him that it was suddenly odd to have him away.

"When you walk," Magnus took deliberate steps forward, "Your heel hits the ground first, then the middle of your foot, and lastly the toes. In order to walk lightly and more sensually, we will have to modify the way you walk when dancing." Magnus stepped back to where he started. Alec watched carefully, noticing his shiny black shoes.

"Instead of heels first, touch the ground with your toes first. Watch my feet." Alec looked down as Magnus stepped froward, gracefully placing one step after the other. "I would like you to try it."

Alec nodded, standing next to Magnus, awkwardly placing one foot out after the other, trying to be light with his footsteps. He wobbled slightly, but it wasn't as hard as he initially expected. Magnus, on the other hand, found the sight amusing, watching this closeted, sporty teenager come in, blushing to the ears and trying to tango in a hoodie and converse. But, he did decent for the first few steps, and had it down within a few more tries.

"Regarding going backwards," Magnus spoke up, "It's quite natural. When you walk backwards normally, you start with the toes, proceeding to the middle and then ending on the heel. With dancing it is the same way." Magnus demonstrated, and Alec copied. It was simple, and Magnus proceeded on with the lesson.

"Now, notice how when I walk forwards, my torso moves the same way as my feet." Magnus walked forward, and Alec saw how his shoulders seemed to roll with his toes. He began to blush again as Magnus made his way closer. He was fluid, weightless, light. "Your body will naturally synchronize itself with your feet- notice this movement begins all the way up to your shoulders. You must force it to do the exact opposite that it wants. You want your right arm to move when your left foot steps out. You must exaggerate this movement as much as possible. Really thrust your shoulders forward." Magnus stopped and stood next to Alec. "Do it with me."

Alec walked forward, remembering to walk correctly, and felt his shoulders moving slightly. He began to really move one after the other, though- unlike how Magnus looked- he felt clumsy whilst doing it, and awkward. "This will feel unnatural at first, but the more you practice this move, the easier it will become. Once your body takes in this pronounced movement, it will come out in a soft and suggestive manner."

Alec imagined himself walking like this towards Jace. _Dear god, I feel stupid,_ Alec thought, catching a glance at how he looked in the mirror was he walked. Magnus walked with him about the room, commenting quietly to help him. Things like telling him to turn to the left more, or relax the feet, keep your weight on the foot that is not moving.

"This seems to come naturally to you," Magnus purred delightfully, and Alec blushed again. "This will become easier and easier. Once you have these little steps down, dancing will come to you like walking."

They preformed various exercises, using the shapes of figure-eights on the floors with masking tape, newspapers and lines. After a few practices, Alec had 'mastered the move' according to Magnus.

"Now, you may have noticed me doing this before, but I tried not to in order to make you focus on the way I walked," Magnus began. "Though, watch my feet." He began to demonstrate the dancer's walk again, but Alec noticed he was not lifting his toes off the ground. Instead, they seemed to lightly brush the surface, giving the illusion that Magnus was walking on clouds. "This is called the slide. Your feet should caress the floor, never leaving it. In order to achieve this, you must have good balance. Try it."

Alec put together all of the fundamentals he has learned thus far and tried to make sure his feet didn't leave the floor entirely. At first, he was dragging his toes, but after a few more tries, he was imitating Magnus well. He felt a sense of accomplishment fill him. "Am I doing it right?"

"Beautifully," Magnus smiled, and Alec grinned stupidly. He stopped and waited for further instruction. Magnus's eyes met Alec's for a moment, and they seemed to darken ever-so-slightly. Alec felt his heart thud. "Now, we will try this as it would happen on the dance floor. I will lead. We will be standing about a foot apart, but once we feel we can do it correctly, we will embrace as we were earlier."

Alec nodded, and Magnus stood before him. He did not speak, but it was like Alec could tell when he would move. Magnus stepped forward, and Alec stepped back, and together, they began to move fluidly, back and forth, without touching. Alec lifted his eyes to meet Magnus's, and almost faltered, but regained his balance and continued on. His heart was picking up speed, heat was collecting in his cheeks, and it didn't help when Magnus gently lifted his arms, placing them on Alec's shoulders as they walked. "Now, do the same, Alexander..."

Alec swallowed and lifted his arms, shakily gripping Magnus's shirt. They continued on. The space between them was about the same, but for some reason, Alec felt as if it had shrunk. "Although we dance together, balance must be maintained separately. Do not lean on me." Alec's grip loosened, and he was able to gather his cool again, making sure to move individually, though his feet were in time with Magnus's.

When Magnus stopped, Alec stopped, and their arms dropped. It was like a spell had been dismissed. Magnus glanced at the clock and smiled down at Alec. "For a first lesson, that was great. You've mastered the basics. The rest should be easy."

"Ah, yeah," Alec smiled shyly, nodding a bit awkwardly.

"If I could remember correctly," Magnus walked towards the piano, where a clipboard and some stray papers were resting, "You said you are not available... Sunday through Wednesday?"

"Yes," Alec confirmed, "Uh... Thursdays through Saturdays are best..."

"Great!" Magnus wrote it down on his clipboard. "Those slots work for me as well." Magnus turned, the glitter in his bangs causing his eyes to glimmer. "I will see you tomorrow."

"Great, thank you," Alec nodded quickly. "Um... bye." He slipped out the door, heart racing, his hands shaking slightly as he pressed the arrow on the elevator button. He was a bit nervous and overwhelmed by Magnus's appearance, but he was an amazing teacher so far. At this rate, learning how to dance would be no problem, Alec concluded. His stomach flipped in excitement for tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus makes a move. They get close quite fast.

Chapter 3

It was Saturday. Alec didn't have work today, and he also had no friends besides his siblings, so he really had nothing to do besides stare at the clock until it was 12:30, then he would make his way down to the studios for his lessons.

He watched closely at the thin stream of water trickling into the white, chipped pot, puddling above dry dirt before eagerly being swallowed under. Once the entire bot was damp with water, he stopped pouring and looked proudly at his maple bonsai tree, the leaves still green. They would turn red for winter and shed the leaves, then re-grow when spring came. Alec was very protective over his tree. He was very fond of nature, and it was a shame that the city was so polluted. He was lucky there was a park nearby, but it was still pretty standard. Having one small tree in his presence made him feel at ease.

"I'm surprised you don't have a garden yet," a smooth voice made Alec turn around, slightly surprised, and he saw Jace, leaning on the doorframe with one shoulder. Jace, with golden hair messy hair parted in oddly, gray t-shirt lopsided off the left shoulder, barefooted. He felt the familiar feeling of butterflies rattle his stomach, and he set down his red watering pot.

"There's not much space for one," Alec responded, "I will someday."

Jace shrugged and stood up off the doorframe. "Max wants spaghetti-o's. Do you want some too?" Alec nodded, following Jace down the narrow hallway of the second floor. They went down the spiraled stairway, ending up in the living room, where Maryse was tapping at her laptop, hair tied up in a loose bun. She also didn't have work today, which surprised Alec, since she was always called in without notice. She was one of the most respected doctors in Lutheran Medical Center.

Jace swung open a few cabinets, grabbing a bowl and some spoons, a few plastic cups with scrapes along the edges from previous uses. His dark gray sweatpants hung low on his hips, making Alec blush at the revealing curve just before the waistband. He turned away guiltily, not enjoying the fact he looked at his adoptive brother so indecently.

Alec only watched as Jace worked open three cans of spaghetti-o's, dumping them in pale plastic bowls- green for Max, blue for Alex and orange for Jace. Alec got the milk from the fridge, pouring it in glasses, shuffling around the kitchen next to Jace to grab napkins and spoons. Once Max's serving was ready, Jace handed it to him. "Go take it up to him," he looked at the other two bowls, "I'll meet you up there."

Alec nodded, trying not to blush as their fingers touched when he took the bowl, and headed back up the stairs. He treaded down the pale white hallway, with gray marks scattered on the walls from all of the times someone tripped, or when Max would run around laughing and screaming as Jace chased him. He tapped the door lightly before coming into Max's room, where his little brother was propped up in bed, crumpled up tissues scattered around his body as he flipped through volume 17 of the manga series, 'Angel Sanctuary.'

His gray eyes looked tired behind his brown-rimmed glasses, but he smiled in greeting, then sniffed. Alec smiled back, sitting down on the edge of his bed and handing him the bowl. "How's the cold treating you, kiddo?"

"It's better than yesterday," Max said, placing the book on his teal and green striped comforter, open on the page he was reading. "My throat isn't sore anymore, but my nose won't stop running, and I'm sneezing a lot..." He began to eagerly eat the spaghetti-o's, and Alec gingerly picked up one of the tissues by an untouched corner, tossing it into the wastebasket by Max's bed, which was overflowing with identical, crumbled-up white tissue squares.

"And your appetite is back," Alec observed, and handed Max a napkin. He took it, smearing away some orange sauce that somehow got on the far right side of his face. Jace walked in at that moment, plopping down a little too close to Alec and handing him a steaming blue bowl and a glass of milk. He took a silver spoon from Jace's fingers and began to eat with his brothers.

"You're all such dorks," Izzy sighed from the hallway, and they all looked over, seeing their sister with one hand brushing out her silky black hair, a red tank-top loose on her shoulders. "Just letting you know not to use the bathroom up here... I'm taking a shower."

"And that means we can't take a piss for 4 hours?" Jace clarified, raising his eyebrows, making Max snicker at the comment.

"Damn right," she confirmed, then took her leave, going down stairs to claim the bathroom. Alec glanced at the clock on Max's nightstand, seeing it was 12:23. He sat up, scooting off the bed with his empty bowl, smeared with the remains of tomato sauce.

"Where are you going?" Jace asked, stretching his arms as he did. Alec stood up and struggled to think of an excuse.

"Work," he lied. "They called for me the other day to see if I could work for an hour."

Jace was quiet, knowing they never needed extra help, but let it slide. "Alright, see you later then."

Alec shuffled out quickly, stepping in his room to grab a nearby hoodie and some money. He slipped on his black converse and was down the stairs, heading for the door immediately. Maryse didn't bother to ask where he was going- she was too wrapped up in her work, and, considering Alex was eighteen, she didn't want to invade on his privacy.

Once he was down the steep concrete stairs outside his front door, he swung around to get the car he recently bought. It was a 2003 Crown Victoria, a former police car. He bought it for that reason- it made people around him wary and cautious, thinking he was an officer in disguise. It was very convenient for him and he was proud to own it.

The engine purred its response after Alec started it up, then backed out of his spot in front and took off right on Gowanus expressway. The drive would take half an hour, tops.

-~-~-~-

For some reason, his heart was pounding, and his hands were trembling slightly as he stepped into the studio, welcomed by the calming sound of Magnus playing piano. His amber eyes glinted in the afternoon sunlight, followed by the much brighter light of his smile.

"Alexander." When Magnus spoke Alec's name, his voice dropped a little, as if he was saying his name seriously, the way you say someone's name to convey to others how important they are to you. The way that informs other people that yes, this person is special, different from the rest.

Or, Alec was thinking too fast, and he also wasn't responding. He felt the familiar rush of heat from yesterday settle in his cheeks. "H-hey." He sounded unsure and concerned, his throat struggling to move. Alec swallowed, trying to smile but still feeling overwhelmed with the embarrassment that came with Magnus's eyes on him.

"Shall we begin?" Before Alec could even regain his composure, Magnus was walking towards him, arms open. Alec nodded and shyly came over, trying to remember how to stand when you dance, how to walk. All of these basic maneuvers they worked on yesterday momentarily left Alec's brain, but once Magnus's warm hand was on his shoulder and the other was holding his hand, it all seemed to come back, and Alec was starting to relax. He felt slightly queasy, considering he got overexcited on the way to the studio, but he tried to act natural, which was a task that wasn't difficult to others but was quite the struggle for Alec.

"Today, we'll be focusing on breathing, and displacing," Magnus began to speak once he felt Alec's muscles loosen. "It's important to breath in a certain sequence while dancing. It is by no means romantic to start huffing right in your partner's face." Once they finished warming up, Magnus pulled away, and Alec felt small, almost insecure before he continued to speak. "Hold out your arms, in the dance stand." Alec did as he said, moving one arm forward, as if he was holding someone's upper back, and the other arm up, like he was cupping their hand. "Put your weight on the balls of your feet, and take a deep breath."

Alec did as he said, inhaling deeply, then letting it out. Magnus nodded. "Now, inhale again, and when you do, step backwards, and then to the side." He didn't specify which side, so Alec inhaled, then stepped back, and to the left. Magnus stepped forward without warning, scooping Alec into his arms and stepping with him. Alec was almost thrown off course when his heart jumped, but he managed to stay calm and moved with Magnus.

"We'll do this in the beginning of each class as well, so that this breathing technique becomes natural for you," Magnus explained. A few moments of silence passed. "See? You're already doing it fine." Alec hadn't realized how easy it was, and it went along with the way his feet moved.

Magnus came to a halt, and gently released Alec. "Besides breathing, balance also needs to become instinctive." He stood in front of Alec, lifting his leg up and seeming to bend it outwards before pulling it back in. Alec stared at him, a bit confused. "Pull your leg out until it makes a 90-degree angle, and let it fall back. Make sure your knees aren't stiff."

Alec tried to mimic Magnus's movements, concentrating hard on making it seem easy. "Place the lifted foot next to the grounded on, slowly and elegantly. Relaxed, slow..." Alec nodded, feeling his feet loosen, sliding into place expertly. "Remember to breath with a steady rhythm as you do this. Let all of the air out. Inhale, exhale, relaxed, softly..." Magnus continued to speak gentle words, calming Alec as he learned to move with his breaths.

"Good, you can stop now," Magnus instructed, and Alec felt a bit refreshed, and no longer queasy. "Now we're going to learn the pivot. It's an important movement to know in dance, for both partners do it often. But I will teach it to you standing still, first." Alec nodded, waiting for further guidance. "Watch me first, and I will explain what I did." Magnus seemed to turn on his heel, both feet moving to face the same direction sideways. He then went back to the starting position to repeat, but slower. "Stand with your feet slightly apart. Lift your heel slightly, shifting your weight to the front of your foot." He froze, then continued, "Stay there, and then move your heels in the same direction, always prompting the movement with your torso." Magnus's entire upper body seemed to follow just his toes, and Alec watched carefully.

"Keep your torso straight and relaxed," Magnus walked over next to Alec, "Now you try it." Alec remembered what he said, turning his body from side to side, his feet guiding him this way and that. Once Alec turned to the right, Magnus stepped before him and began to dance with him, pivoting as they stepped backwards, then left, before pivoting again. "Notice how this is a short and easy way to change direction when in tight spaces," Magnus explained, "If you are dancing in a crowded area, this is a simple way to avoid bumping into others."

"It's really easy," Alec commented, and Magnus smiled softly in return. Alec didn't normally respond with anything besides eye contact and nodding to show he was listening, so Magnus felt a bit more at ease, hearing his voice.

Magnus continued to teach Alec how the men and the woman turn in dance, showing him the ways of both genders, just to be safe.

"I want you to be the man for this exercise, to know how the woman will move around you. And, also, because for this, the man's turn is simpler." Alec stood straight, remembering he had to start all movement in the torso, and Magnus began to stride around Alec. "Turn with me, Alexander. Trust me." Alec blushed a little, facing Magnus and moving himself, trying not to be distracted with the way Magnus's hips seemed to sway inwards, temping Alec closer. His hands rested on Alec's shoulders, his feet skillfully moving around Alec's, waist twisting from side to side.

"Now, put your hands on my shoulders as if I was the woman." He smirked a little as he spoke, not helping Alec's already flustered expression as he lifted his arms, gently holding one of Magnus's hands. "Guide me to the left, while pivoting with your feet." Alec began to move, pivoting Magnus to the right afterwords, then the left, and without telling Magnus, he chose his own path, dancing in small circles, turning this way and that.

They continued to dance, around the room, no words being spoken. Alec stood straight, confidently staring into Magnus's eyes, not letting himself become distracted with the glitter on his eyelashes or the dark blue shadow on his eyelids. He felt steady, graceful and experienced.

Magnus and Alec stopped at the same time, and the spell seemed to break apart. Magnus stepped away, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows. "I'm impressed, Alexander," a smile lifted the corners of his mouth. "You're quite the natural."

All of the confidence and self-control Alec possessed a moment before melted away with the heat in his face, and his shoulders rolled inwards again, the butterflies leaping back into his lower abdomen. He slapped a half-smile on his face, trying not to seem too excited over Magnus's compliment. "Really?"

"Really," Magnus purred, and stepped closer. He lifted his arm, hesitating for only a split second before ruffling Alec's hair. The touch was gentle, and Alec stared up at him, breathless for a moment. His fingers felt nice in Alec's hair... and his eyes looked so warm, so proud. He seemed approving of Alec, not disappointed, as so many others have been before.

Magnus retreated his hand, the shift of awkwardness settling in between them. "I'll be here on Thursday, then," Alec spoke, realizing how long it would be before he returned. Magnus seemed slightly surprised, but then realized their lessons were Thursday, Friday, and Saturday only.

"Of course," Magnus nodded, and Alec nodded back, turning to leave. He began to open the door when a hand stopped him, firm on his left shoulder. Alec glanced over his shoulder, seeing Magnus holding out a piece of paper.

"I'll see you Thursday," he smiled and let go of Alec once he took the paper. He didn't have a chance to ask Magnus about it, so he nodded, attempted a smile, and left.

On the elevator, he quickly unfolded the paper, and nearly dropped it when he gasped and tried to cover his mouth. Alec's face flamed hot, his heart speeding up instantly in reaction to what was written.

_(718)-794-0963, call me._


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec's clearly got a short attention span and sort of forgets the reason he decided to take these lessons in the first place. So instead, he asks his instructor out on a date.

Alec was pacing. His phone had the number dialed on it, across the screen, and his thumb hovered over the green 'call' button. One small twitch could hit said button, and the phone would be ringing.

He walked across his room for the twenty-second time. _Do it,_ he urged himself. _Do it._

Alec inhaled, ready to press his thumb down onto the call button, but he stopped again. His pacing was halted for a moment before he continued to walk back and forth. This was the first time another man had actually taken interest in Alec. Magnus wasn't just anyone- he was a man, he had a life, he was openly hitting on Alec, and he was...

Alec's heart thumped, and his face flushed. Magnus was attractive, too. And, if he were to assume anything else about his dance instructor, Magnus was probably rich due to the quality of his clothing. What was there not to adore about the man? For any gay man, Magnus seemed like the perfect lover, a gift from Heaven itself.

So why was Alec holding back?

His feet stopped, his toes pressing against the hardwood of the floor. He sat back onto his bed, watching as his phone screen dimmed and turned off. He saw his own reflection, his blue eyes swimming with confusion and fear. Alec didn't even know himself. A man like Magnus clearly understood who he was. He would expect so much of Alec, but Alec was lost. Alec couldn't tell anyone of his sexuality because he couldn't confront it himself. Even worse, he had mixed feelings for his adopted brother- how could he ever speak of those thoughts and emotions to anyone without being harshly judged?

He tossed his phone on the bed next to the crumbled piece of paper with the number scrawled on it. Shaking his head, he got up to go to Jace's room.

Alec pressed his fingers softly against the door, placing his ear closer to the opened crack to listen before he pushed the door open. It was silent besides the soft taps of a keyboard, so Alec pushed the door open. Jace looked up, his blue eyes flickering when he saw Alec.

"What's up?" His typing paused for a moment before continuing to finish whatever he was working on. Alec looked to the floor, avoiding the piles of empty chip bags and dusty pop cans as he stepped over to Jace, sitting next to him. He was close enough so he could feel Jace's elbow brush against his arm every so often, but it wasn't like they were side to side, or anything.

"I'm bored," Alec murmured, sulking into his knees as he tugged them closer to his chest. He watched as Jace scrolled through facebook, raising his eyebrow at certain posts and typing in witty comments.

"Like I'm going to do anything entertaining," Jace mumbled, liking some blonde girl's photo. Alec looked away, feeling a small twist in his stomach. Maybe if he ignored it, it wouldn't bother him.

"Dude," Jace nudged Alec in his side lightly, and that would have embarrassed Alec a week ago, but it felt like nothing more than physical contact now. He was silent with confusion from his lack of reaction, but he snapped out of it and looked at the screen.

A photo of a brunette girl in a tight black dress that barely made it over her hips was on the screen, her iPhone 5 tilted slightly in her fingers, her thin eyebrows raised and head cocked to the side. She looked like she was pouting, and her other hand rested on her hip. "She's smoking. Damn..." Jace was silent for a moment before smirking and nudging Alec in the side again. "Huh? How does she look to you?"

"Uh," Alec felt his throat constrict. He gripped the fabric of his jeans on his knees, and he swiped his tongue over his chapped lips. "She's... not really my type."

"What?" Jace rolled his head to the side. "Then what is your type? If a beauty like her isn't..." He looked to Alec again. "Bigger boobs? Different colored hair?"

Alec blushed a bit, an image of Magnus flashing into his mind. "I... um..." He looked away from Jace's smirking face. "Black hair is nice, and lighter eyes... like a greenish..."

"Oh?" Jace looked back to the photo. "Ah, she has brown eyes."

"Maybe a bit more..." Alec paused, thinking of the shape of Magnus's eyes. "Oriental."

"You like the Asian chicks?" Jace laughed. "Alright, then big boobs aren't really your focus, huh?"

"No," Alec murmured, shifting a bit as he imagined Magnus's hands dancing across the keys of the piano. "Like... tanner skin, you know?"

"Those can be real beauties," Jace grinned. "I didn't know you had a taste for foreign girls. If you ever want one, you've gotta buy new sweaters. They're not gonna want to touch this." He lifted Alec's arm by the fabric of his worn sweater, a loose thread hanging from the end of the sleeve.

"Whatever," Alec managed to roll his eyes, and Jace dropped his arm and chuckled.

"No, but really, I'll keep an eye out for you," Jace patted Alec's shoulder supportively. "If I know any single chicks that fit your taste, I'll have them come over sometime."

"Sure," Alec sighed and sat up, wanting to go check his phone for an unknown reason. "Thanks."

"Anytime," Jace watched Alec leave, who was tense until he got to his room. He grabbed his phone instantly, dragging his finger in the familiar pattern to unlock the screen, coming face-to-face with Magnus's number.

 _Screw it,_ Alec thought. _Jace and I will never happen._

He pressed the call button and lifted it to his ear. As soon as the ringing began, his heart began to race. He had no idea what to say.

"Magnus Bane speaking." Alec tensed, his breath leaving him for a moment before he remembered he had to talk.

"H-hi," Alec shyly spoke into the phone, "It's me. I mean, Alec. Lightwood. Your student..."

"Alexander," Magnus seemed to purr, and Alec's face instantly felt hotter. "I'm glad you called."

"Yeah," Alec responded softly. "Sorry I took so long..."

"Nonsense," Magnus chuckled, "I only wasted 18 hours staring at the phone, no big deal."

Alec sunk into his shoulders, feeling embarrassed that Magnus was really that anxious to speak with him. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not being serious," Magnus replied lightly, "But I was excited to speak with you outside of lessons."

"Why?" After the word left his lips, Alec wanted to smash his head into the wall. Of course he knew why, but a part of him wanted to hear it.

"I find you incredibly enticing," Magnus spoke lowly, and it went straight to Alec's face, which had flamed up red. He forgot how to breathe for a moment as Magnus's silky voice rung in his ears. "Black hair and blue eyes is my favorite combination."

"O-oh," Alec was dumbfounded, at a loss for words as his heart only sped faster. "I... like that too." He was quiet before realizing the stupid mistake he made. "I-I mean... I like you too." His eyes widened as his voice hitched. "W-wait, I mean, I like the combo of... like... darker skin and, uh..." Alec trailed off. Any more words and he would squeak. He managed to choke out, "I-I'm sorry."

"Would you like to go out to dinner tonight?" Magnus's voice seemed impossibly warmer. "Because quite honestly, I almost squealed from the sheer cuteness of everything you just said."

"I- what?" Alec swallowed, his toes flexing as he stared at the floor. His voice wavered. "I... sure..."

"I'll make a reservation for 7:30 at Red Lobster. Seafood is okay, I presume?"

"Y-yeah," Alec stammered, his eyes wide. "I'll be there."

"I'm glad," Magnus replied gently. "Meet me there."

"I will," Alec fiddled with his nail. "See you then."

"Goodbye, Alexander." Alec blushed as he hung up the phone. He stood up, glancing at the clock. It was a little after 2:30. He had 5 hours to pace around his room and get ready within the last 10 minutes. He should leave around 6, so really, he had 3 and a half hours to pace around.

With a sigh, Alec sat down onto his bed and flopped onto his back, staring at the ceiling. Maybe if he napped, time would pass by faster.

Approximately fifteen seconds passed before Alec sat up again, cursing his racing heart. There was no way he would be able to sleep with a heart rate that speedy. Maybe it would be better if he went for a jog...

Within moments, Alec was in the fridge, grabbing a water bottle and slipping on his grayish, rough-edged Nike shoes. He opened the door and was greeted by the soft scent of outdoors just before the pungent reek of the city. Shaking his head slightly, Alec closed the door behind him and walked down the cement stairs, not trying to jog down them from past experiences. Thinking about that time made his head throb again. He tried to show off to Jace when they went running together, out the door right away- but he missed a step, panicked and fell, faceplanting into the sidewalk.

Once both feet were safely on flat ground, he began jogging down the road to the east, away from the busy highways. He observed the old fashioned homes, some being torn down, others abandoned. Graffiti was scrawled on some of the brick walls, almost completely covered in a layer of grime and dirt so the colors were pale and brownish.

When he returned to his house, he checked the time on his phone. 3:15. He cursed under his breath impatiently and decided to take a shower. Body odor was not attractive at all.

Since when did he ever care about what he was like around others? Alec felt his cheeks tingle with heat, but he shook his head and made his way to the bathroom, cranking up the hot water and deciding to take a long shower to pass more time.

When he was out of the shower (and done messing with his hair), it was only an hour later. He could sit in his room and evaluate his life in deep detail, or he could go feel awkward around Jace again, or read manga with Max, or... he walked passed his sister's room and heard an odd mix of clicking and breathing noises. He shuddered. Izzy had some guy over, they were making out and there was no way Alec was going to interrupt them- as much as he wanted to punch the guy in the face for touching his little sister.

She wasn't six anymore though, and Alec knew better than to be the overprotective older brother. He was just a regular degree of protective.

His feet brought him back to his room, and he saw his phone on his bed, lit up with a new text message. Blinking in surprise, he picked up his phone and saw it was from Magnus. His heart froze as he unlocked the screen and read it.

_How do you feel about me picking you up at 6:30? ;)_

Alec's jaw dropped momentarily before he texted back with twitching fingers.

_Sure. You need my address, right?_

Alec stared at the screen before the response popped up.

_Of course. I'm not that creepy, am I? lol_

Alec smiled a bit and responded with his address. _I'll be ready._

_As will I, Alexander. xoxo_

His face flamed up red and he tossed his phone aside, hiding in the safe fetal position on his bed.

"What the hell was that about?"

Alec yelped and sat up, seeing Jace leaning on the door frame, eyebrow raised and a suppressed laugh behind his cheeks. Alec only blushed more, humiliated that his brother had seen his girly reaction to the first flirty text he had ever received.

"Nothing, Jace," Alec groaned, stuffing his face under the pillow. Jace proceeded into his room, sitting on the side of the bed. "Come on, spit it out."

"There's nothing for me to spit out," Alec argued from his safe place under the pillow, where his red cheeks were hidden.

"I'll just find out myself, then," Jace stated, and Alec's heart paused for a moment of terror. He sat up as fast as he could, in just enough time to see Jace pulling the phone closer to his face.

"Stop!" Alec sreeched, leaping onto Jace and grabbing desperately for the phone his brother clutched in his fingers.

"Dammit, I can't read it!" Jace protested, twisting this way and that to read the words on the screen. When Jace froze, Alec grabbed the phone successfully and ripped it out of his hands, scrambling away to the opposite end of the bed and locking his phone.

"Who's Magnus?" Jace looked suspicious, and Alec felt his heart skip. _Dammit, he saw that much._

"Um..." his thoughts tumbled like clothes in a washing machine. He had to think of something. "A guy I talked to on the bus. He has connections to NYU."

"Oh?" Jace cocked his head, in the way he did when he knew someone was lying. Alec swallowed and nodded, not letting his eyes waver. "Alright then." Jace let it go, standing up and slowly striding out of the room. "Well, I've got a date to get to in an hour, so I'm gonna go make myself sexier than I already am right now." Alec glared at him, and Jace grinned wider. Alec forgot to exhale until he heard the click of the bathroom door.

"Dammit, Jace," he hissed, and ran a hand through his hair. Jace had to know, he just had to. Jace was a moron most of the time, but any thick-skulled dimwit would be able to tell that Alec was certainly not straight after that reaction.

Alec stared at his bonsai tree, picking at its leaves and thinking over what he would do if anyone confronted him on his sexuality until Jace left for his date. It was almost 5:30, and at this point, Alec decided to start getting ready and pace around his room.

He changed his jeans, brushed his hair, sprayed a little cologne on his jawline and, when no one was looking, borrowed some of Izzy's lip gloss and applied some. What was wrong with a little kick of strawberry, right? Alec convinced himself it was okay and he placed it back exactly where he found it, and positioned the label to the left, where it was facing when he picked it up. He put on one of his nicer hoodies (it only had three holes in it) and ran a hand through his hair for the slightly messy, sexy bed-head look.

He decided to bring twenty dollars and by then his phone buzzed. His heart jumped when he saw the text.

_Out front :)_

Alec was down the stairs in moments, After hopping in three small circles in front of the door with one foot, his shoes were on and he bolted out the door without saying a word to his father, who was watching the football game on the flatscreen in the living room.

Alec's jaw almost dropped when he saw the car Magnus owned. A gleaming red, spotless Ferrari, in all its royal glory. He tried not to gawk as he stepped around to the other side, amazed that Magnus could drive such an expensive vehicle around and not be worried about it.

Alec slid into the passenger seat, hurriedly snapping in his seatbelt before looking up to Magnus, and heat instantly made its way to his face. "Hi," he said softly, meeting Magnus's glittering eyes. His smile was blinding.

"Hello, sweetheart," Magnus purred, and Alec ripped his eyes away after that, his heart ramming his chest. "Ready for some dinner?"

"Starving," Alec responded with a shy smile, and Magnus shifted into drive.

"Well, we better get through rush hour traffic fast, then," Magnus suggested, and they were off towards the restaurant. _Our first date,_ Alec thought to himself with his eyes cast towards the window, and occasionally at Magnus's profile.

Alec couldn't believe what he was doing, but he was excited, and he couldn't care less.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They dance and get a bit too intimate for comfort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh_uWKzQfH4 -> here is the song they dance to. At 1:11 is when the vocals come in, hence the lyrics typed. They are a bit off, because something messed up with the formatting and when I put the text in AO3, the accented letters became question marks. I cannot remember the vowels that were accented so I improvised.

"Sorry-"

"Did I step on you?"

"Watch out-"

Before Alec could comprehend what was going on around him, he managed to run straight into a waiter and fall face-first into the restaurant floor. He heard plates clattering, surprised gasps and silverware being dropped. Even worse, he felt Magnus's hand on his arm, helping him up.

They had arrived at Red Lobster, on time for their reservation, and were weaving through the strings of customers, waiters and waitresses, though Alec couldn't contain his clumsiness, and despite his strenuous efforts to stay out of the way of any human around him, he ended up on the floor and making a huge mess, not to mention a huge embarrassment of himself right in front of his possible future boyfriend.

"Alexander, are you alright?" Magnus was looking into his eyes, but Alec looked down as quickly as possible, his cheeks flaming red. He could feel the stares of everyone in the restaurant.

"F-fine," he stammered, shoving past Magnus, trying to get to their table, which was merely a few steps away. So close, and yet he still managed to fall over...

 _Idiot,_ Alec scolded himself as he sat down, fumbling with the napkin and placing it on his lap. _You're not supposed to fall over your own feet during dates. You're supposed to act your best and smile charmingly and... what else did Jace say?_

_'Don't look at her tits too much!' Jace grinned, holding a thumbs up. 'I know it's tempting, but she'll hate you if your eyes are down the whole time. You don't wanna look at an ugly face if you're gonna bang her, no matter what size she is, alright?'_

"Thanks Jace," Alec muttered under his breath, remembering what his oh-so-wise brother had told him. Magnus raised an eyebrow questioningly, and Alec shook his head.

"I said fish cakes," Alec spoke up louder, pointing at the menu. "They have... fish cakes."

"Ah," Magnus grinned, not looking too convinced but taking the answer. He opened his menu, his eyeliner glittering under the dim lighting. Alec tore his eyes away, trying not to stare too much. As soon as silence surrounded them, Alec remembered falling on his face. He sunk back in his chair, hiding behind his menu as he stared at the crab-leg special. He hoped Magnus would never bring it up again, like it never happened...

"What are you thinking of getting?" Magnus asked, lowering his menu to look at Alec's shameful blue eyes.

"Uh..." Alec looked back to the menu, gripping its edges tightly. "I'm not sure yet..." He didn't want to suggest something too expensive, but he was pretty hungry, so he didn't want an appetizer, either...

"I'm thinking of the lobster tail," Magnus closed his menu decisively, leaning back on his chair.

"Really?" Alec asked quietly, then looked at how much it cost. He'd have to get something that price or lower. He quickly skimmed the menu, his eyes settling on a shrimp dish. It sounded good, so he decided he would order it. The waitress came by and took their orders, and left Magnus and Alec alone to converse with each other.

Alec looked up to his instructor, but suddenly remembered the words Magnus spoke to him over the phone earlier.

_'I find you incredibly enticing.'_

_'Black hair and blue eyes are my favorite combination.'_

He swallowed as the heat rose to his cheeks. Magnus was clearly flirting with him. How was Alec supposed to react to that? Men have flirted with him before, but never had he been on... dates. Even stranger, he never expected to go on a date with his dance instructor, who he was trying to learn from so he could maybe display his feelings to Jace.

Though, things seemed to be taking quite a turn that Alec was not expecting.

While Alec sat slumped in his chair with his tongue prodding the side of his mouth, Magnus folded his fingers together and smiled at him. "Have you been on a date before, Alexander?"

"Wha? Me?" Alec snapped back to the present, and his cheeks flickered pink. "Uh, I..." he looked down to the bread on the table. "No... this is my first one... if it's a date, I mean..."

"It is," Magnus plucked a piece of the bread from the basket, gracefully peeling it in half and eating some. Alec felt obligated to do the same, so he got his own roll and munched on it. Magnus dabbed his mouth with his napkin, raising an eyebrow as Alec did the same thing.

"Are you mimicking me?" Magnus asked slowly, and Alec dropped his napkin quickly, his cheeks flaming into a bright red.

"I-I'm not," he stubbornly answered, glaring over at Magnus.

"Really?" Magnus raised an eyebrow, his amber eyes glittering in the dim lighting of the restaurant. Alec chewed on the inside of his cheek, nodding defensively as he forced himself to not copy everything Magnus was doing.

 _I've never been somewhere like this,_ Alec thought frantically. _How am I supposed to know how to act? Especially to a date..._

Unfortunately to Alec, the food was taking an incredibly long time to arrive, so he had to make conversation. And, unfortunately to Alec, he was terrible at making conversation, especially with someone like Magnus. He desperately hoped that Magnus would say something first, but instead, Magnus elegantly sipped at his wine glass, and kept his gaze settled on the black-haired teen.

"Uh..." Alec's mouth unintentionally opened, and by the way Magnus's eyebrows raised slightly, he realized he got Magnus's attention. Their eyes met, and Alec's cheeks flamed red. He just realized he had no idea what he should say, considering he didn't even know he wanted to say something until he made a noise. Alec decided just to go with the first thing that came to mind. "How old are you, anyways?"

Magnus laughed mid-sip, almost choking on his wine. He set down the glass, and Alec's mind was blank before he realized how rude he sounded. The question tumbled out of his lips almost as carelessly as the noise he made earlier, and it felt as if the cloud of nervousness around Alec only got thicker. "I'm 29."

"Really?" Alec's words came out carelessly, as they had before, though he couldn't stop his mouth from rambling on. "I'm 18. Turning 19 soon. Like, in, uh.. September."

"Oh?" Magnus smiled a bit, lacing his fingers together as he watched Alec spill out random personal information. "Do you do anything for your birthday?"

"Me?" Alec pointed to himself, but suddenly realized the stupidity of the question, since there wouldn't be anyone else Magnus was talking to. His cheeks flushed a light shade of pink in embarrassment. "I... not really. My sister and Jace always buy me a new hoodie, or new shoes, and my parents get me a cake. But we never do anything different."

"Do you enjoy sweets?" Magnus tilted his head slightly, fascinated by how easily Alec could talk with encouragement and many questions. He was adorable when he let himself ramble, and it was even cuter when he blushed after speaking so much about himself. He probably didn't speak about himself often, Magnus concluded, his eyes sparkling with interest.

"S-sometimes," Alec stammered, tearing his eyes away from Magnus's incredibly hypnotizing amber gaze. "Too much sugar makes me a little sick, but... a little something now and then isn't too bad." Before Magnus could ask another question, Alec opened his mouth. "How about you?"

"Do I like sweets?" Magnus's eyebrow raised in question.

"Well..." Alec fiddled with the napkin on his lap. "Yeah, but... do you do anything for your birthday?"

"To answer your first question," Magnus uncrossed his legs and set his wine glass down on the table. "Yes, sweets are nice if done correctly. I enjoy a delicate taste of sugar, not an overdose." He smiled up at Alec charmingly, and continued. "As for birthdays, I normally just pop open a bottle of wine and celebrate another year of living. Just me, myself and my cat."

"Your cat?" Alec wasn't surprised that a man like Magnus owned a cat. His incredibly unique eye color reminded him of a cat's eyes.

"Chairman Meow," Magnus chuckled. "He's a spoiled thing, and he hates everyone but me." His eyelashes glittered as he glanced down at his wine glass, which was quickly getting empty. He then looked back up at Alec, who was slumping forwards only slightly. "Do you have any pets, Alexander?"

"U-Uh," Alec blushed at the use of his full name. It made him tingle with heat, and he wasn't sure if he should tell Magnus to just call him Alec at that moment. He decided it could wait. "No, I just... have plants."

"Plants?"

Alec felt his face flush another shade darker. _I sound like a complete weirdo._ "Yeah... a small tree... in my room."

"What kind?"

Alec looked up in surprise. Magnus smiled invitingly, his amber eyes glowing with warmth and kindness. No one has ever cared at all about his tree, but for once, this man sitting across the table from him seemed genuinely interested in what Alec liked to do.

"A-A miniature Maple Tree," Alec explained, "I found the seed outside myself. It was just starting to grow and I didn't want it to die like so many other trees do around here. It's hard keeping it small, but I'm able to make it work, somehow."

"I'm sure it's beautiful," Magnus smiled, and his eyes moved away from Alec's reddened face to the waitress, who was placing their food down on the table. It glistened under the dim lighting of the restaurant, and Alec had to keep his mouth closed to refrain from drooling. He would have scarfed it all down in a heartbeat, were it not for Magnus's delicate picking at his own dish. Alec instantly felt self-conscious, and ate slower, no matter how quickly he wanted to eat.

Once they were finished, Alec attempted to pay part of the bill, but Magnus ignored his efforts and handed the entire payment, including a generous tip, to the waitress and acted like it was no big deal. Alec felt guilty for not paying anything, and slumped his shoulders as he followed Magnus out of the restaurant.

"Alexander, you should improve your posture," Magnus commented as they stepped outside and headed to where Magnus's car was parked. "Not only will you look better, but your dancing will improve quicker."

"Sorry," Alec mumbled and tried to stand upright, but he appeared stiff and uncomfortable. Magnus couldn't help but to laugh, and he gently slipped his fingers around Alec's.

Alec flinched as heat shot up his arm from the contact, a fiery red racing across his cheeks. "Wh-what-"

"Relax, Alexander," Magnus seemed to purr the words, and rubbed circles into Alec's palm with his thumb. "Roll your shoulders pack, lift your chin up. Don't look so ashamed of yourself all the time." He flashed a smile over his shoulder. "After all, you have nothing at all to be ashamed of." Alec's heart pounded at the compliment, and Magnus's eyes flickered downwards. "Except for that hoodie. It's got holes."

"I-I like it," Alec defended himself, his cheeks refusing to pale. "It's comfy."

By holding Alec's hand, it only made him tense even more, and Magnus was slightly relieved when his car came in sight. He released the boy's hand, hoping to give his heart a rest. He noticed how jumpy Alec was, and assumed he had never dated anyone before, and if he had, they were merely friends who called each other something special but were too shy to really do anything.

As he started the car, he smirked at Alec, who seemed to be sinking into the chair. "Do you want to come over to my place tonight?"

"W-what?" Alec's cheeks lit up an even brighter red. "B-But we... we just..."

"I'm kidding, Alexander," Magnus chuckled. As they drove off, Magnus had to glance over to his right occasionally to make sure Alec hadn't become one with the seat.

Alec's heart refused to stop pounding in his ears, and he let out a shaky sigh from between his lips. He questioned their dinner earlier, asking Magnus if it was a date, but he wanted to... truly make sure that it was a date, or if it wasn't, or why any of that happened.

"M-Magnus...?" Alec sounded meeker than he expected himself to sound, and it only made him look at his dirty gym shoes.

"Mm?"

"Was... uh... why did we... go out to eat?" He questioned slowly, being careful on his choice of words.

"I wanted to get to know you better," Magnus responded honestly, a small smile lifting his lips. "And I have. I'm looking forward to teaching you how to dance."

The answer made sense enough for Alec to nod and look out the window, losing himself in thought. It... was a date, but it wasn't like they were going out yet. They weren't... together, or anything along those lines.

After all, Alec was learning to dance in order to make himself more appealing to Jace. While his instructor may be really attractive, he still wasn't sure what he was feeling. At the very least, he had Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to think before he had to see Magnus again. He could go over the meaning of life, the meaning of love and the meaning of what the hell he was even doing with himself.

Satisfied with his decision, Alec glanced at his surroundings, noticing how they were rolling to a stop in front of Alec's house.

"I will see you on Thursday, Alexander," Magnus smiled up at Alec, who was stepping out of the car.

"Y-yeah," Alec looked down at him, glancing at his house to make sure no one saw what he was doing. "Uh... thank you for the dinner..."

"It was my pleasure," Magnus's amber eyes glittered, and Alec flushed red, moving out of the car quickly, before stopping and ducking his head back to look at Magnus.

"And... Alec is fine," he murmured. "Alexander is a bit of a mouthful."

Magnus smiled even wider, if possible. "If that's what you wish, Alec, though I find your full name beautiful."

Alec's eyes widened at the statement, his cheeks flushing another shade of red. Magnus only had a moment to watch Alec's adorable expression before the black-haired teen jerked his head out of the car and closed the door, shuffling up the steps to his home.

Magnus laughed to himself as he drove away, a new, warm feeling bubbling in his heart. Alec stood at his door, pressing his forehead against the cool hardwood as his heart raced and flipped, trying to decipher the emotions forming within him at such a fast pace.

-~-~-~-

"Good afternoon, Alec."

A familiar, velvety voice made its way to Alec's ears, and blue clashed with amber for the first time in three days.

Unfortunately, Alec hadn't done a lot of deep thinking. He tried, laying on his bed and staring at his tree, but every time he thought too much, he brought the warm, fluttering feeling back to his core, and it wouldn't leave. No matter how hard he tried, the feeling haunted him, everywhere he went, and with every moment that passed. He was jumpy and warm all day, earning some weird looks from his family. He isolated himself in his room and stared at his maple tree, or he went outside and sat on a bench, listening to his music while zoning out. He didn't know how he fell asleep that night, with his heart pumping an unnecessary amount of hot blood all throughout his body, but he eventually fell into darkness.

The next day, he woke up calmly, his heart back to normal and his mind at ease. Though, Alec cursed his luck, for as soon as Magnus entered his thoughts- which was about 40 seconds later- his heart kick-started into its never-ending, pounding torture. He tried the methods he attempted yesterday, and also tried to watch a TV program with his dad. He tried to read comic books with Max, and helped Izzy pick out an outfit for a party that night. He even put up with Jace's girl talk, but ended up spacing out and thinking of Magnus. Once everyone was asleep, Alec was the only one left awake in the house. His house was silent, but outside the city continued to bustle, the energy never dying down. Alec stared out the window at the flashing lights and the faint stars in the sky, listening to the sound of cars and horns before drifting asleep.

He woke up in a heated mess, sweat coating his body, and images of a dream flashing behind his eyes. Amber eyes, dark hair, caramel-colored skin. Smooth hands with rough tips wandered all over his body, and firm lips pressed against his own, along his neck, all over... it left Alec an issue in the morning, and he closed his eyes as his hand met the ache between his legs, his mind trying to find the image of blonde hair and a slightly crooked smile... but instead, he thought of elegant, slightly slanted yellow eyes, and dark, spiked hair crept into his head, and he gave up on avoiding it. His hand worked itself faster, and he finished quickly, only because remembered Magnus's voice speak seductively into his ear as he did in the dream- Alexander...

Alec swallowed the lump in his throat, the flashbacks fading away as he finally was face-to-face with the man that was the cause of his pleasure as of lately.

He felt his cheeks burning at the remembrance of such events, and he lowered his eyes, afraid they might reveal too much about his thoughts. "G-good afternoon."

"You're half an hour early," Magnus was stacking papers on the lid of his piano. He had stopped momentarily to greet his early student.

"A-ah, yes, sorry," Alec stumbled over his words. "I... thought traffic would be worse." It was a lame excuse, but Alec wasn't going to tell Magnus that he had nothing better to do, and was way too excited to sit still any longer. He hardly ate lunch.

"Well, we can get started early, then," Magnus finished shuffling his papers around, then strode over to Alec, not hesitating as he scooped Alec's hand into his own and placed the other hand on Alec's back. The sudden contact made Alec flush, but he still placed his unoccupied arm over Magnus's shoulder, stepping with Magnus as they did their warm-up dance.

It didn't last long, for Magnus stepped back and Alec already missed the feeling of Magnus's hands holding him steady.

"We're going to work on making you more agile," Magnus looked down to Alec's feet. "Draw the numbers up to 9 on the floor with one foot. Do not lift your foot off the ground at any point, but don't drag it along the ground, either. Feather the surface of the floor with your toes."

"Okay..." Alec sucked in a breath and exhaled as he started, finding the task pretty simple, but noticed that by the end, his right foot was very loose and flexible. He wasn't told to do so with his other foot, so he stood there, looking up to Magnus as he awaited further instruction.

Though, the man in question was gone, and Alec looked around quickly, confused as to where he could of went. He then spotted Magnus in the corner, pressing a few buttons and then walking away from a small radio on the top of the piano. Music filled the room- definitely music that fit a tango- and Magnus smiled as he met Alec's confused gaze.

"I want you to try and loose yourself in the music," Magnus suggested, standing before Alec with such good posture that Alec had to lift his chin to look at him. He began stepping in time with the beat, making similar movements to the ones Alec made when drawing the numbers on the floor, though they seemed natural, and fit with the notes in the song. "Allow your arms to help, and pivot as we learned before." Magnus's arms lifted slightly, and he began to turn in place, his arms flowing around him with no effort shown in his shoulders or wrists. "Try it, Alec."

Alec blushed, feeling that he wouldn't look as graceful as Magnus, though closed his eyes and tried it anyways. He wasn't sure if he was doing it right, and tried not to think about Magnus watching him.

"Good," Magnus spoke softly, "Just don't forget about posture, Alec. If you lose posture, you also lose balance and gracefulness." Alec yelped as he felt fingers lightly touch the underside of his upper arms, lifting him. His eyes flew open, and Magnus was before him, pressing parts of Alec's torso to make him stand upright. He quickly obeyed, his cheeks turning redder with each moment that passed. The romantic, playful tone of the song didn't help much with Alec's situation.

_Milonga pa' recordarte,_

_milonga sentimental._

_Otros se quejan llorando,_

_yo canto por no llorar._

_Tu amor se sece de golpe,_

_nunca dijiste por qu?_

_Yo me consuelo pensando_

_que fue traicion de mujer._

"Let's try and move," Magnus spoke over the music. He began to shuffle to one side, and Alec followed, remembering how he learned to dance from side to side, applying the concepts from before and remembering all of the details. "Step with the rhythm. Every person has an irreplaceable, irreversible internal rhythm, and it will show through your footsteps if you melt into the music."

_Varon, pa' quererte mucho,_

_varon, pa' desearte el bien,_

_varon, pa' olvidar agravios_

_porque ya te perdon?_

_Tal vez no lo sepas nunca,_

_tal vez no lo puedas creer,_

_Tal vez te provoque risa_

_verme tirao a tus pies!_

Alec nodded in response, following Magnus's directions. Magnus removed his finger tips once Alec's arms were moving freely, and he followed Alec's moves, before stopping and allowing Alec to go on his own in a back-and-forth movement. After a few times to the wall and back, Magnus joined again, though this time lightly placing his hands on Alec's hips. This subtle movement made Alec's breath hitch, and his cheeks flushed red. Magnus held back a sly smile, and began moving Alec's hips. "Sway them more. It will help your feet move lighter."

Once Alec got over his initial embarrassment, Magnus let go, and let Alec walk back and forth again, though this time, his hips swayed beautifully. He admired Alec's movements from a professional standpoint, approving of how well his form had become, and how he truly was falling into a pattern with the song.

... Though, of course, he couldn't remain purely professional. Alec's hip movements were quickly becoming seductive, and his jeans suddenly seemed to fit him much nicer than they had before...

He cleared his throat, stepping over to Alec and placing his feet skillfully right in front of Alec's, lifting his arms in the familiar position that they held in the beginning of every class. Alec looked up at Magnus's striking eyes, noticing his thick eyelashes dipping just a bit lower than usual. He seemed to be giving Alec a rather... dark look, and by dark, he meant... a good kind of dark. A... sexy kind.

Alec swallowed and his body did the work, his feet continuing to keep up with the song, though now in sync with Magnus's movements. They spun in circles, Alec's eyes searching for somewhere to look that wasn't Magnus's eyes, but he eventually caved in and looked up shyly, meeting Magnus's darkened gaze. Their eyes locked, and the orchestral music surrounded them, the quick, precise strokes of the violin, viola, cello and others leading their footsteps, the echoing sounds of the piano keeping the time for them.

Magnus suddenly straightened their arms, causing Alec to lean into him, their chests pressing together. Alec gasped, but before their faces came too close, or even collided, Magnus's head moved to the side, so that his mouth was near Alec's ear. Alec stumbled at first, but quickly regained his step, his heart thudding against his chest. He hoped Magnus couldn't feel it, though it was likely he could.

He could smell sandalwood and a tint of butterscotch as he danced against Magnus, his cheeks darkening more as he discovered that he enjoyed Magnus's scent. It was warm and inviting, and he wanted more of it...

"You're doing so well, Alec," Magnus spoke softly into Alec's ear, and the sensation made shivers crawl up Alec's spine, heat sparking from the shell of his ear. "Very well."

It was after those hot words brushed against Alec's sensitive ear that he felt heat rush downwards. An occasional leg would slip between Alec's, ever so slightly feathering too close, or nudging his inner thigh. The heat in his face was scorching, but the heat beginning to collect in between his thighs was greater, and it wasn't long until Alec felt a familiar swell and weight in his leans.

 _Shit, shit shit shit, I am not getting hard while dancing wi-_ Alec's eyes widened as he realized he had indeed lost himself, and glanced at the side of Magnus's neck, noticing the soft, short hairs that stuck out in random angles. He bit down on his lip, squeezing Magnus's hand a little hard, and to Alec's terror, Magnus continued to speak into his ear.

"Relax, Alexander..." he spoke his full name, earning another shiver from Alec. "It is only a dance. You're tensing up."

Alec didn't dare open his mouth, for god knows what would come out as his body was in a very heated state. He felt it- the tightness of his jeans, and he refused to try and look down, and hoped to god Magnus wouldn't, either. He tried to keep his rhythm, his cheeks burning red, and he would glance in the mirror behind them at all opportunities, hoping his problem wasn't too obvious, though he couldn't see anything. Magnus was too close to him to allow any kind of clear view of what Alec was going through.

Magnus's feet flicked this way and that, and at one point, his leg dipped down, only to slide back up, and...

... dragging _right_ along his...

"A-ah..." Alec gasped, shivering and arching directly into Magnus's body, their chests pressing even closer. Their movements had ceased, and Alec's eyes snapped open in horror of what he had just done.

He had just moaned right into Magnus's ear...!

"I-I n-" Alec pushed himself away quickly, his hands trembling as heat flushed his entire neck and face. He felt sweat under his bangs. "-to- use the r-restroom..." Alec stumbled away quickly, rushing out of the room as fast as his shaky legs would take him, blindly searching for the nearest restroom. Luckily, he found it, and even luckier, no one else was in it. He locked himself in a stall and ripped down the zipper of his jeans, shoving his quivering hand under the band of his boxers and pumping vigorously.

It only took a couple strokes and Alec climaxed with a gasp and a groan, slumping against the wall of the stall defeatedly. His glazed eyes focused, and a cold, trickling feeling of horror made Alec sway with realization.

What had he just done...?


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec has some realizations. Siblings will be siblings.

Alec's feet were heavier than cinder blocks. They were practically dragging on the ground, refusing to be lifted, and Alec most definitely did not want to lift them, either.

Maybe his lack of motivation is what made him take 10 minutes to walk down a short hallway back to Magnus's studio, along with the dread that settled heavily in his stomach. He felt sick with fear, his hands trembling with anxiety as he got closer and closer to the door.

He knew he had to face Magnus again, but how? How would Magnus look at him now? How would Alec look at Magnus? How could Alec talk to Magnus after that, and vise versa?

 _I'm such a freak..._ Alec beat himself up as he placed his hand on the door handle, but couldn't find it in him to turn his wrist. That would mean he'd have to look at Magnus. Make eye contact. Dance with him again, after that. And there was no chance at all that Magnus didn't notice what happened.

Magnus _had_ to know, he just had to. There was no escape. Alec swallowed, deciding he'd apologize for his actions as soon as he could.

In one swift, stiff movement, he opened the door. He stood there before slowly creeping inside, keeping his eyes shielded by his messy black bangs, his eyes lowered to the floor. He spared a quick glance up at Magnus, who turned over his shoulder at the sound of Alec entering.

"Alexander, I'm sorry."

"Magnus, I'm sorry."

At the same time, they both spoke quickly, and their eyes widened and met at the same time. Alec certainly hadn't planned on looking Magnus in the eyes ever again, so when it happened, a jolt of electricity shot through him, and he swallowed nervously.

"I..." Magnus spoke up first, facing Alec properly this time. Alec let go of the door handle, allowing it to close behind him. "My methods were very unprofessional, and I apologize for frightening you in any way." He held out his hand, his eyebrows furrowed in clear frustration. "Please forgive me, and I hope that we can continue this class without any more incidents."

"B-... but..." Alec looked from Magnus's face and his hand in disbelief, but took his hand anyways and shook it firmly. As he did, he looked up at Magnus, his cheeks flushing more. "I... it wasn't entirely... your fault." His eyes lowered, and he dropped his hand to his side. "I shouldn't of let my thoughts carry me away. I should have more... uh, self-control."

Magnus blinked in surprise, then cleared his throat. "It's not an issue, Alec." Alec's heart dropped slightly. He somewhat enjoyed it when Magnus spoke his full name, and he certainly enjoyed the dance they just had. Although he got carried away, he hoped that maybe, just maybe, they could become closer, first, and then dance like that, and not stop...

... but Magnus said he hoped there would be no more "incidents," so Alec decided to give up all hopes of his little fantasy ever coming true.

As they continued the lesson, Magnus had noticed Alec's movements becoming sloppier, and the energy he had was fading. He seemed tired, sluggish, and most of all, demotivated. After attempting to teach Alec a little bit about Supported Ocho, he stepped aside and sighed, checking the time.

There was still 15 minutes left of class, but he didn't see what they'd get accomplished.

"Since we got started early today," Magnus's voice rang through the quiet studio after shutting off the CD player, "I'll let you go now. I will see you tomorrow, Alec."

Without protest, Alec shuffled out of the studio, muttering a very quiet 'farewell' before closing the door behind him.

-~-~-~-

"Alec."

He curled up tighter. "Go away."

"Alec, seriously..."

"Go. Away."

"No."

The door to his room opened, and in came Izzy, who plopped herself onto Alec's bed, where Alec had pushed himself in the farthest corner and was staring at his phone, curled into a tight ball.

"Why are you sulking?" She questioned him for the thousandth time that day. "You barely ate dinner and didn't say a word. You're lucky mom had that promotion to talk about or else they would have all noticed. Now tell me why you're depressed. Who's ass do I have to kick?"

"Izzy, stop..."

"Why?" Izzy narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "You're my big brother, Alec, and I care about you. I don't want you to be sulking over something serious all by yourself."

Her words were soothing, and Alec sighed. Where would he even start? How would he explain his feelings? His family didn't even know he was gay to begin with. Coming out was a huge step by itself, but explaining that he got a boner in front of the guy he's interested in is almost worse. He could always pretend Magnus was a woman, but even so, the story was still embarrassing, and he wasn't sure if lying about it was even worth it.

"It's... a lot... to talk about," Alec revealed that much, but clearly Izzy was not letting up.

"I've got all night. I was gonna go out, but I'm not leaving you here to sit on your ass and mope," she stated, "I'd be worried the entire time and just end up texting you every 10 minutes, so what's the point in even going?"

"Izzy, you don't-"

"I do," she cut him off abruptly, then exhaled. "Look," she spoke, her voice softer than before. "Alec, you can tell me anything at all. _Anything._ You know I'll still love you, you're my brother for crying out loud. I won't tell mom or dad if you don't want me to."

Her words were tempting, and Alec did trust her deeply. He felt closest to Izzy out of all of his siblings. He contemplated her offer. "Or Jace?"

"Or Jace," she sighed. "Though he's nosy as hell, I'm sure he'll find out anyways, but I can assure you I won't be his source of information. Does that sound fair?"

Alec was quiet, and he sat up, setting his phone aside to give up on reading all of the texts Magnus has ever sent him. Which wasn't a lot of texts, he only re-read the same ones over and over.

"Izzy..." he opened his mouth. What was he supposed to say? I'm _gay? I think I like guys?_ No, he _knew_ he liked guys. Even that sounded weird to say. He swallowed, his mind spinning as he tried to find the appropriate words to begin his story.

"I... I'm interested in someone," he settled with that, and shyly glanced at Izzy. She blinked a couple times.

"Oh, Jace? We all knew that already."

"WHAT!?" Alec yelped, and felt his face flush a dark shade of red. "No, I swear-"

"Alec, come on," Izzy rolled her eyes. "Mom was confused about it at first, and she hopes it goes away soon, but she wasn't really surprised about you being gay-"

"Okay, okay, okay, wait," Alec hadn't realized his hands were shaking, but he was aware of how hot his face was. "Y-you all know?"

"I thought I said that already, but yes," Izzy blinked again, "We're all waiting for you to come out. Jace knows, too."

"Ja-" Alec stammered. "Jace _what!?"_

"He knows about your crush... thing," Izzy waved her hand around nonchalantly. Alec was staring at her in disbelief, his eyes wide and his face flushed red. "What, do you seriously think you were doing a good job at hiding it?"

"I- just-" Alec was at a loss for words, for good now. All former thoughts were scrambled, and his little world had been turned completely upside down at the realization that _everyone knew he was gay and had a crush on Jace._

"Is that what you were sulking about? Seriously?" Izzy rolled her eyes. "For god's sake, Alec, you need to get laid, by someone who isn't Jace, because that would be so awkward for everyone-"

"That's not why I was sad," Alec blurted out, then paled, instantly regretting his word choice. It was a lot to realize that everyone knew he was gay and liked Jace, but it was even more to try and tell Izzy about Magnus. "There's... someone else..."

"Oh? This one is new," Izzy grinned, "Is this why you haven't been around lately?"

Alec paused, then nodded slowly. He then began to realize how dumb he'd sound when he told Izzy he was taking dancing lessons to seduce Jace.

There's no way he could reveal that...

"Sooo?" She pressed, leaning forward. "What's his name?"

"... Magnus..." he felt his cheeks warm up from just saying the name of the incredibly sexy man he was picturing in his head. "Magnus... Bane..."

"Dang," she chuckled, "He already sounds interesting. What a name to have. How did you meet?"

 _There it is,_ Alec thought with defeat. His shoulders lowered, and he sunk backwards, as if to make himself smaler. "Uh..."

"Is it embarrassing?" Izzy grinned mischievously, "Did you go to a gay bar? Did you get a lap dance?"

"No!" Alec shook his head quickly. "I've never been within 100 feet of a gay bar!" He snapped, his face flushing. "He's my dance instructor!" Shit.

"Whaaaat?" Izzy's eyes widened. "You're taking dancing lessons? For what?"

"U-uhm..." Alec swallowed, and his eyes became glued to the floor. "I just thought I should know some... basic... dances..."

"Uh huh, sure, what's the real reason?" She grinned more, and Alec glared at her momentarily.

"You aren't making this very easy, you know," he muttered, and Izzy giggled in response. Alec tensed and looked to his left. "I... originally... wanted to learn how to dance, so I could ask... Jace... to dance with me..."

"So you could _what?"_

Hysterical laughter sounded throughout the room, and Alec felt his heart crash through the floor.

Sure enough, Jace himself was standing in the doorway, his arm wrapped around his torso as he laughed even harder. Alec felt himself flush the darkest shade of scarlet, and he stood upright, completely intending to leave the room. Though, before he could leave, Jace grabbed his shoulder and dragged him back in. "Oh, no, you're sitting down and I'm talking to you."

Alec whined in despair, wanting to become invisible at the moment. There's no way that this was happening...

"So there's this guy named Magnus Bane, right?" Jace raised an eyebrow curiously, and Alec shot a glare at him.

"Were you eavesdropping!?"

"Yeah, get over it," Jace rolled his eyes, "This Magnus guy, you like him, right?"

Alec was quiet. He didn't want to admit it, but he nodded slowly, and Izzy smiled in the corner of his vision.

"And he's really hot? Like drop-dead sexy? Asian?"

"What the fuck?" Alec snapped, and Jace laughed.

"You said you like asians," Jace purred, and sat down in front of Alec. Alec pulled his knees closer to his chest. "Okay, so all things given, he's hot, you like him, and... what? Are you sulking cause he doesn't like you?"

"It's not..." Alec trailed off, glancing at Izzy. "It's... embarrassing... he might like me, but I'm convinced he doesn't now."

"Whyyyy?" Jace poked his forehead, and Alec shooed his hand away.

"That's the embarrassing part, dumbass."

"Right," Jace grinned, "All the more reason to tell us."

"I hate you guys," Alec grumbled and sunk into his knees, burying his face into his knees. "Let's say you'd think I just started going through puberty..."

"No way," Jace stopped then grinned impossibly wider, "You got a boner!?"

"Shut- _up!"_ Alec hissed, and Izzy snickered. _Yeah, be glad that girls don't have that issue,_ Alec thought mournfully.

"So you think Magnus hates you because you got a boner in front of him," Jace crossed his arms. "Well that's awkward, but how did he react?"

"He..." Alec looked to his fingers. "He said it was his fault, and he apologized..."

"What was he doing to give you a boner?" Jace asked bluntly, and Alec flushed red at the memory.

"We were dancing..."

"How?" Jace leaned back onto his hands. "Grinding?"

"No!" Alec's head snapped up. "Uh... tango..."

"Spicy," Izzy commented, and Jace snickered. Alec pouted.

"If you're just gonna make fun of me, go away," he complained and hid in his knees again, but Izzy ruffled his hair.

"That's what siblings are for," she laughed. "We're doing it out of love."

"It's just an excuse for you to make fun of me even more," Alec grumbled, and Jace rolled his eyes again.

"Oh, stop being a crybaby," he sighed. "So why don't you ask him out?"

"After that? Hell no," Alec stared at Jace in frustration. "And I was confused. About... you. I still am."

He felt weight leave his shoulders. Saying that out loud made Alec feel a lot better, but he was still confused. For once, Jace looked serious, and sympathetic.

"Alec, it's okay," he said comfortingly, "But I know you don't like me that way."

Alec raised an eyebrow.

"Really," Jace continued. "Hell yeah, I'm hot, but that's different than what you feel for Magnus."

"How so?" Alec huffed. "Magnus is..." _Magnus is hot, too. Almost hotter._

"Someone you can date," Jace grinned. "Someone you could screw around with. I'm your brother, we can't do that." Alec knew this, but it was different hearing it from Jace.

"Mom and Dad would be so happy if you brought home Magnus rather than pining after Jace," Izzy added, and Alec sighed. She was definitely right.

"Well, sorry I can't turn my feelings off like that," Alec grumbled, but Izzy ruffled his hair again.

"You can fall in love with Magnus, though," she stated, "And we're gonna make sure of it."

 _Oh no..._ Alec thought with a sinking feeling as Izzy and Jace made a similar expression of mischief. _What have I gotten myself into?_


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec gets dolled up by Izzy and Jace, and the results, well. They speak for themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry. I know Alec would never wear eyeliner. Let a girl live her dream, okay.

"No, that looks too big."

"That's the point!" Izzy rolled his eyes. "It's cute when it's baggy."

"No, he's gotta look..." Jace narrowed his eyes, making Alec flinch. "Sharp. Sexy. Suave."

Alec groaned, turning around and heading back into the changing room. "I'll get the next pair..."

Alec, against his will, was dragged to the nearby mall by Jace and Izzy promptly the following afternoon, before his lessons with Magnus. Apparently, the two decided he needed 'a new look' to catch Magnus's eye. Nothing in Alec's closet seemed to be suitable, according to his siblings.

"How about this...?" Alec sighed, stepping out from the changing room after Izzy and Jace ceased their bickering. They both looked Alec up and down. At this point, Alec was worn out. He was dragged to five stores already with no success, and was beginning to believe he looked terrible in everything.

"I think..." Jace said, but trailed off. Alec glanced at himself in the mirror. He was wearing a blue plaid flannel, which was slightly unbuttoned to show off his neck, and he had a pair of black jeans that bagged near the ankles. The sleeves of the flannel were bunched by his elbows, and he had a few bracelets wrapped around his thin wrist that sparkled if he moved.

"... with the proper haircut..." Izzy continued Jace's remark. They both shared a look, and Alec instantly tensed. In unison, they looked Alec in the eyes.

"It's perfect."

Alec froze up even more, looking at the mirror again. His heart sped up. "Seriously? I look attractive?"

"Yes!" Izzy rushed over, fixing the collar of the flannel. "The blue in the shirt brings out your eyes so well."

"And the jeans fit right," Jace added. "It's a little loose, but tight in the ass."

"H-hey, don't look there," Alec grumbled, his cheeks tinting warm. He knew Magnus would look, so he was glad that a straight guy could even tell that his ass looked great in the jeans he wore. Jace snickered and patted Alec on the back, making him stumble slightly.

"You look hot," he commented again. "I think Magnus is gonna dig the new look."

"Wonderful," Alec regarded sarcastically, but inside, his heart soared with excitement. He hoped Magnus thought he was cute. Attractive. Desirable...

Blushing, Alec put his focus back onto his siblings. "So... are we getting this?"

"Yes," Izzy pushed him back into the changing rooms. "So go get back in your old hoodie, let us go pay for it, and then we're going to put it back on and go to the salon."

"Go to the- what!?" Alec stammered, but he had no choice as the door slammed shut behind him. He slumped his shoulders and began removing his clothes, gently putting them back on their respective hangers. There were piles upon piles of outfits, and Alec couldn't believe this perfect outfit was nearly the last one.

Shyly, Alec glanced at himself in the mirror, swallowing self-consciously. His hair looked... alright, but it did need touching up. He studied his shoulders, and neck, and torso. Was he fit enough? Alec never really worried about his weight since he's always been physically active, but suddenly he was concerned about the appearance of his body. He flushed red and quickly shoved his t-shirt over his head. Not that... anyone would be seeing him without clothes anytime soon. He could wait... to worry about that.

Alec stepped out of the dressing room, handing Izzy and Jace his outfit as they turned on their heels to rush to the cashier. Alec followed slowly, adjusting his hoodie and making sure his shoes were tied. By the time he was finished, the two were at the entrance of the store, Izzy waving and Jace holding the bags.

"Let's go already!" Izzy cheered him on, and Alec sighed, feeling incredibly dull compared to his siblings, who seemed to shine.

-~-~-~-

After being dragged into the bathroom to change into his new clothes, Alec was taken to a hair salon, where Izzy chose his haircut. Alec had no idea what he was getting into, but he did admit Izzy had a great sense of style, so he trusted her decision and only made minor comments as the stylist trimmed his hair.

Izzy took the time to get her hair done as well, and Jace was busy playing with his phone. Alec's style was done quickly, and somehow they ended up waiting for Izzy.

"Damn," Jace smirked as Alec stepped over. "You look good with that hair."

"Really?" Alec blinked running a hand through the soft, black locks. "I don't feel too different... cleaner, I guess, but..."

Alec glanced at the mirror again. The style really did fit him- his bangs fell around his eyes, not enough to be annoying, but enough to look messy in the sexy kind of way. His hair wasn't fully covering his eyes, either, so the color was clearer, and the layering was longer at the top.

"I don't notice much of a difference," Alec sighed, and Jace rolled his eyes.

"You never notice," he stated, and his eyes focused on someone behind Alec. Alec turned around, seeing his sister strutting over to them.

"Whoa, Izzy, looking good!" Jace commented, and Izzy twirled, showing off her long, silky black hair.

"I know!" She chirped. Alec agreed that his sister looked beautiful, probably... too beautiful for her age. A surge of protection washed over him at the thought of a boyfriend running his hands through his little sister's hair. He hadn't realized he looked so dark.

"Jeez, Alec, chill out," Jace laughed. "You can let Izzy look pretty. She's all grown up after all," he teased, and Alec scoffed.

"Still, don't let..." Alec looked at Izzy with love. "Don't let anyone tell you that you're not beautiful, alright?"

"Awww," she cooed, giving him a hug. "Alec, you're so sweet. I'm fine."

He smiled a bit when no one could see, hugging her back. "Also... thanks for today."

"Eh?" Izzy pulled back, raising an eyebrow at him. "You know we're not done yet."

"Wh-" Alec froze, staring at her. "How!?"

"Come with me!" Izzy grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of the salon. Jace followed, not surprised by her spontaneity.

-~-~-~-

"And then you say..." Alec groaned as Jace and Izzy shared a look of mischief.

"'May I have this dance, señor Bane,'" they spoke in unison with an equally terrible Spanish accent.

"Hell no," Alec sighed, hoping they arrived at the dance studio soon. He couldn't bear 'practicing' what he would say to Magnus any longer. They were helpful up until this point. He went to rub at his eyes, but Izzy smacked his hand.

"No, you'll smudge your eyeliner," Izzy snapped, and Alec groaned, gently tapping at the itchy part of his eyelid. Izzy had put on a little makeup. " _Something to make your eyes pop!"_ she had sad, then before Alec could object, held him firmly in place and began applying eyeliner.

He had to admit he looked really, really pretty.

But were guys supposed to look pretty? He slumped and pouted.

"None of that, either!" Izzy scolded him, forcing Alec to sit up. "You have to look confident. No slouching."

"Right," Alec groaned, but his heart leapt when they pulled up to the studio.

"We're here!" Izzy squealed as Alec began to unbuckle his seatbelt. "Don't forget everything we told you!"

"Yeah," Alec said monotonously, though he was honestly too anxious to listen to them.

"Tilt your head to the right!" Jace snapped. "Don't frown!"

"Y-yeah!" Alec stammered, opening the door of the taxi.

"Don't touch your hair too often!"

"Make eye contact!"

"Smile as often as possible!"

"We love you!"

"Okay, alright, already!" Alec snapped, whirling around, his cheeks bright red. "I love you too, mom, dad," he rolled his eyes, "Bye!"

Izzy and Jace waved as the car window rolled up, and the taxi drove off. Alec stood in front of the studio, peering up at the building with his cheeks tinted pink.

He _really_ hoped Magnus would like his 'new look...'

-~-~-~-

Alec had just stepped out of the elevator on Magnus's floor, and yet it felt like all eternity has passed. He was lost in his thoughts, and he constantly looked at everything that had a reflection, including his cell phone. He decided that before even going into Magnus's studio, he'd go make sure he looked decent in the bathroom.

Instead of turning right to go to the studio, he turned left, heading down the hall and stepping inside the men's bathroom. Luckily, nobody was in there, so he got no strange looks. Alec rushed to the mirror, feeling a bit embarrassed.

 _I look... gay,_ he thought with a small sigh. He was normally very conservative, so having this... flamboyant appearance was new to him. Alec tried to fit in with the crowd, not stand out. His outfit was doing everything to make him stand out.

With a small sigh, he splashed some water onto his face, washing away most of the makeup. Though, he avoided wetting his eyes too much, because he did feel that the eyeliner looked pretty good. He just wanted a little less of it.

Alec gently wiped away some of the eyeliner, and after rubbing and poking a few more spots, it looked very subtle, yet still accented. Izzy must've been too excited, he thought, or maybe he did look better before he washed most of it off...

Dammit, Alec clenched his teeth, fixing his hair around. _I look fine. Fine. Just... fine._

His cheeks warmed as he thought about what he was preparing to do. _Am I really going to ask Magnus out? Isn't it too soon? Should I wait? But... the purpose of dating to get to know each other better, so this should be the normal thing to do, right? Wait, I don't even know if Magnus is taken! What if he has someone and I just make it awkward? What if-_

The interruption of another man coming into the bathroom snapped him out of his thoughts. Alec quickly brushed himself off and walked past before he could see the guy's face, too embarrassed to look anyone in the eye.

He stalked down the hallway quickly, his head spinning. There's no turning back now. Rehearsal started in 3 minutes. He didn't want to turn up late- that would be horrible.

Swallowing deeply, Alec knocked, then turned the knob of the door. He hesitated, then pushed it open, bracing himself for everything that would happen, his cheeks flushed red and his other fist clenched. His heart nearly stopped from beating so fast.

Meanwhile, Magnus was preparing for a serious talk. He hadn't liked the mood that they had created the other day- the tense air between them, the stiff movements, and the avoidance of really any communication. It was bothering Magnus, and when he heard the door open, he decided there was no time to waste. He sharply inhaled and began speaking before he even turned around.

"Good afternoon, Alexa-"

Magnus had stopped mid-sentence after turning to face the door, his eyes widening at the sight of his student, who was stiffly closing the door and staring at the ground. Despite his rigid stature, Magnus was breathless for a moment.

He looked... _adorable._ Magnus swallowed, feeling warmth collect in his cheeks. _Way more adorable than usual._

All of the words he prepared mentally left, and he stood, staring, frozen in place.

Alec was quickly becoming uncomfortable under Magnus's intense gaze, and his blush was only darkening. He forgot all the advice Izzy and Jace had drilled into his head only moments before, his heart in his throat and his shoulders trembling.

Magnus thought Alec looked adorable as a little baby animal, so frightened he was about to cry- but he decided to stop scaring the kid. He cleared his throat. "... good afternoon, Alexander."

"A-afternoon, Magnus," Alec stammered quickly, his heart jumping when their eyes met.

 _He's wearing eyeliner,_ Magnus thought, _and it looks really good. Especially for a kid like him with shaky hands... unless someone else did it?_

Magnus's eyes widened a little. _Did he do all of this for me?_

Alec fidgeted, and Magnus blinked, setting down the papers he was currently holding. _I'm just being ridiculous. It may be unusual that he's dressed this way, but maybe he dresses this way when he's going somewhere? Even though he didn't dress different when we went to dinner..._

"Well, let us begin," Magnus exhaled, and easily walked over to Alec, in position for their warm-up dance. Alec snapped out of his slouched over, nervous position, and the change in his posture made him look slightly better- were it not for the bright pink on his cheeks and the anxious tremble of his hands, he would probably look confident.

As they stepped in easy circles, Magnus couldn't help but to look Alec over closely. His hair looked neat, and much softer than usual. His eyes seemed bluer than ever. His pale skin looked flawless, his lips the perfect shade of pink. He smelled fresh, like apples, and Magnus was enjoying every little detail that he noticed. Not to mention that the added color of his blush perfected the image.

Best of all, he was warm, except for his hands. Magnus clenched Alec's hand a little tighter, hoping to warm it.

Their warm-up ended, and Magnus stepped away reluctantly, beckoning Alec to follow him to the left side of the room. "Today, Alexander, we will practice more of the Supported Ocho I mentioned yesterday afternoon," he spoke with ease. "Place your hands against the wall, facing it with about a foot between the wall and your body. Stand with your feet together."

Alec obeyed slowly, and Magnus took note of how lovely his jeans were fitting him. When Alec was trying to find the right position against the wall, Magnus was more than tempted to get behind him, but he resisted. He swallowed and brought his eyes back up, freezing when Alec was glancing over his shoulder.

Alec's face lit up a brighter pink, and he quickly turned his head to face the wall. Magnus felt his heart speed up. _Alec... must've caught me checking him out. Shit._

Alec's heart was pounding, remembering Jace's comment about how his backside looked in the jeans he was wearing. Magnus clearly agreed...

"K-Keep your torso parallel to the wall, Alec," Magnus cleared his throat. "And put your weight on your toes. Lift your heels slightly." Alec did as he was told, attempting to ignore the stammer in Magnus's tone. _Is Magnus embarrassed as well?_

"Good, now... slowly turn your feet to the left." Magnus instructed, his voice slowly returning to its normal, calm tone. Alec's heart began to rest, and he turned his feet. "Let your legs follow, and keep your weight on your left foot. Keep your arms, torso, and face to the wall, though. Bend your knees and lift your right foot slightly."

Alec did as instructed, feeling awkward, yet still trusting Magnus and himself. "Take a step forward with your right foot. Like this." Magnus quickly copied Alec's previous motions in front of him, and stepped left, then turned and back the way he came. "Remember to step with your toes first, then everything else can follow."

Alec nodded quickly, copying what he saw Magnus do, and feeling better about his progress. "Flex your knees so that the movement is soft and gracious," Magnus commented, and Alec did as he was told, feeling that his legs were... lighter, somehow. "Now shift your weight to your right leg and keep it steady. Bring your left foot the same way you did with the right one. Turn over your right foot, standing on your toes and keep your feet together. Flex your left knee as you do this." As Magnus continued to give directions, he demonstrated to make it easier for Alec to understand. "Step forward with your left foot and cross it over your right, and step the same way you did before. When you step, do it as if you're pivoting, it's the same movement. Do not forget that when you move your leg forward it must be flexed, and only stretch it once your foot is firm." Alec was nodding along, quickly getting the hang of the movement as they repeated it over and over on both feet.

"Remember the movement originates in the shoulders, not the hips," Magnus reminded Alec. "The movement goes through the torso and ends in the feet. It's important that you try and face the wall as much as possible. Are you understanding?"

"Yes," Alec nodded and responded verbally, feeling the movement come much more naturally. "It makes sense. It's easy," he stressed his point so that Magnus knew he was comfortable with the movement. Magnus tried to suppress a small smile, but failed. The smile made its way onto his face, and he felt warmth from within his core.

Magnus quickly went back to teaching, though. "Now that you can do it forwards, let's try backwards," he suggested. "It's completely the opposite. In the forward ocho, the torso pulls the legs, but in the backwards ocho, the legs pull the torso. Try it." Magnus demonstrated and then allowed Alec to get a feel for the movement. He had it down in no time.

"I think I've got it," he said over his shoulder, and Magnus nodded encouragingly.

"You do," Magnus smiled. "Alright, well, let's try Unsupported Ocho. Step away from the wall and try doing the same thing, but while balancing." Magnus began moving back and forth. Alec couldn't help but to gawk at how graceful Magnus was with barely any effort. It was incredible to him. He needed so much practice while Magnus could dance as if it was the way he talked.

"Move so you face the mirror," Magnus instructed, lightly turning Alec's body so he was looking at himself. Reluctantly, Magnus removed his hands and watched Alec's form as he moved. _Those close really do fit him so well,_ Magnus observed. _They move so nicely against his-_

"Am I doing it right...?" Alec's soft question brought Magnus back. He nodded, his amber eyes flicking away in embarrassment.

"Now that you can do this, your balance has improved," Magnus added. "Now that you can dissociate parts of your body, you're really mastering the way you move." Magnus walked around Alec's form. "Try doing it backwards now."

Alec followed the instructions given to him, beginning to reverse his movements clumsily at first. Though, after a few steps, his feet were precise, his fingers trembling less and less. "This requires more effort and a lot more balance, so you're doing well," Magnus complimented Alec, noticing how he was wavering slightly. "Remember, forward movement starts in the torso, and backwards in the hips-!"

Magnus flinched as Alec lost balance, stumbling, which resulted in Alec falling against his chest. Magnus staggered at first, but he quickly secured his hands on Alec's shoulders and steadied them both. Alec's eyes widened in shock, and he was suddenly very aware of the sound of Magnus's heartbeat, and the way he smelled like sandalwood.

A flush of red blossomed on his cheeks, and he pushed himself back, quickly apologizing. Magnus smiled and shook his head.

"Not everyone is perfect, you were doing really well," he reassured Alec. "I would've been freaked out if you didn't fall at least once. At least I was there to catch you."

Alec blushed more at the last comment, and shuffled his feet awkwardly. Magnus had secretly wished Alec stayed in his arms longer, for it felt... like the right thing to do.

"Keep practicing," Magnus instructed. "I'll do it with you. We should do this for about 10 minutes. From now on, after our warm-up dance, we'll do this for 15 minutes every day. It's essential to proper body balance."

"Got it," Alec responded after clearing his throat, struggling to shoo away the butterflies in his stomach.

Alec only stumbled once after that, but otherwise was very steady and balanced, and it was mainly from watching Magnus do it with him.

They continued to practice this until Alec was much better, and then danced together, reviewing everything Alec has learned since day one in a few various dances.

Though, they maintained distance, not wanting the awkward situation of before to come back, although both Alec and Magnus yearned for that closeness again.

Class was nearly over, and Alec was listening to what Magnus had to say for tomorrow's lessons. He wasn't really listening closely, though; he still had something important to do.

"Well," Magnus clapped his hands together. "That should be all. I'll see you tomorrow at 1, then?"

"Yeah," Alec nodded, his heart lodged in his throat again. "I'll be here."

"Perfect," Magnus said, and began to open his mouth to say goodbye. His words were cut off by Alec's sudden outburst.

"Just one more thing," The words flooded from Alec's mouth before he could stop himself. He clenched his fists and looked up at Magnus with shy eyes, feeling his cheeks heat.

"If..." he swallowed, his heart now racing as Magnus watched him curiously.

"If... we could... do what we did that one night, wh-... when we went for dinner... again... I'd be happy..."

"You would like to go out on another date with me, Alexander?" Magnus questioned softly, and Alec felt himself become even warmer, in both embarrassment that Magnus could state that so bluntly, and happiness that Magnus had the same thought. Alec nodded quickly.

"That is.. if you're not seeing anyone else..." Alec added quietly, his heart momentarily stopping in fear. He glanced up again, and froze at the sight of Magnus's beautiful smile.

"I'm single," he replied. "Or am I, now?"

"Wh-" Alec stammered his eyes widening. "Wait, a-are you really-"

"I would love to be yours," Magnus leaned closer, a charming smile blinding Alec's vision, "If you want to be mine."

Alec snapped his mouth shut in fear that he was gaping, and nodded quickly, his face feeling redder than the darkest shade of scarlet. "Th-that's... exactly what I want..."

"Then why don't we?" Magnus gently raised a hand, cupping the side of Alec's face. Alec flinched. _Since when did he get so close?_

"S-so.." Alec leaned into Magnus's warm hand. "Are... are we... dating? Like... boyfriends...?"

Magnus chuckled softly. "Yes, yes we are." His eyes glittered, and Alec found himself staring into those eyes. "How about we seal the deal?"

"Wh... what do you mean?" Alec whispered, and Magnus was so impossibly close that his hair brushed against Alec's forehead.

"Like this," was all Alec heard before Magnus's lips sealed his own, and a jolt like electricity went through his body, his heart leaping at the sensation.

Warmth overcame Alec, and as Magnus moved his jaw slowly, Alec allowed his eyes to slide shut. He gently clutched Magnus's shirt, and leaned up on his tip-toes to press their lips tighter together. It wasn't long until Magnus pulled back, gazing into Alec's eyes affectionately.

"That..." Alec felt himself blush darkly. "That was... my first kiss..."

"Really?" Magnus breathed, trying not to sound too shocked, although he was truthfully surprised. Alec was adorable to him, and he couldn't believe no one else has kissed him until now.

Alec nodded in response, and began leaning forward. "C-can... can we do it again...?"

A verbal response was unnecessary. Magnus did not hesitate in pulling Alec close, this time dipping his head at a better angle so that he could slip his tongue between Alec's lips.

Alec whimpered at the feeling, shivering at the contact their tongues made, another wave of heat rushing through his body. He grabbed onto Magnus's hair, leaning even closer, loving how their mouths fit together, and the heat that burned between them. He loved how Magnus tasted faintly of peppermint gum, how he smelled like sandalwood and dew. How his hair was as soft as it looked between his fingers...

Once they separated, Alec gazed at Magnus longingly, but stepped back regardless. "I've... gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow..."

He was suddenly very embarrassed and self-conscious, and Magnus smiled at him. "I'll see you tomorrow, Alec."

Alec smiled and turned on his heel, looking back once more before he exited the room, blushing when their eyes met again. "Bye," he said softly, and Magnus waved.

Alec practically skipped to the elevator. His heart felt lighter than it ever had, as if the butterflies in his stomach decided to let his heart fly, instead.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yet another lesson. They get even gayer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was posted in November. I haven't updated since. I'm really sorry. I will update soon, I just lost my Malec muse, bad. I can make it come back though, no worries. I will deliver a new chapter shortly.

Alec was 20 minutes early to lessons.

This had only occurred to Alec when Magnus's eyes met his, completely bewildered and shocked.

"Alexander-" Magnus cleared his throat, his hand still frozen and holding his eyeliner, "I mean, Alec. You're... early today."

Feeling a heat wave of embarrassment crash over himself, Alec looked away, then shuffled into the room and closed the door behind him. "I'm sorry. Uh..." he quickly searched his head. "My clock was reset for some reason. I thought I was late." _I was actually so excited to see you that I was ready leave 3 hours ago, but I waited._

Magnus was facing the mirror-wall, applying the last of his eyeliner quickly before capping it. He turned on his heel, placing the makeup in a bag by the piano, and strode gracefully over to Alec. As the man came closer, Alec felt his heart rate increasing its tempo. _This man... is my boyfriend now. Right?_ Alec's blue eyes shimmered with emotion, his head tilting back so he could look at Magnus when he got closer. He had instinctively closed his eyes when Magnus leaned forwards, accepting the soft kiss.

"Welcome back," Magnus murmured against his lips, his hands placed on Alec's arms. They burned through Alec's coat, so he returned a quick 'thank you' to Magnus before shrugging out of his arms and removing his jacket. Magnus watched with a small smile that could only be labeled as adoring, and Alec tried to keep his eyes away before he turned redder than he already was.

"We don't have to start right away," Magnus mused, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall next to the door. Alec stood upright, finally looking at Magnus with curiosity bright in Alec's expression. "Shall we talk about our next date?"

"Oh, right," Alec pulled out his phone, fumbling with it and seeing the date and time before shoving it back in his pocket. "Well, since it's Saturday, I have the rest of the day free."

"Oh?" Magnus raised his eyebrow. "Lucky for you, my other clients do not request lessons on the weekend. I come on Saturdays solely for you." For some reason, knowing this made Alec look at his feet and blush.

"S-sorry for inconveniencing you," he mumbled, but Magnus laughed softly in response.

"No, no," Magnus waved his hand, "It's no issue, really. If it wasn't for you, I'd just sit on my couch at home all day and watch Netflix with Chairman Meow."

"Chairman Meow?" Alec repeated uncertainly. He assumed Magnus was speaking of a pet, but he was still confused.

"My cat," Magnus confirmed Alec's thoughts with a grin on his face. "A spoiled little thing, and he hates people, so when you get the pleasure of meeting him, do not be offended if he sticks his tail in the air and walks away." Magnus stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Chairman gets pissed when I pay attention to anything else."

"I'll be sure to apologize to him," Alec responded with a small smile.

"So, next date," Magnus went on, standing upright from the wall. "What would you like to do today?"

"Today?" Alec blinked, then remembered he was free today, after all. "Right, um," he glanced at his nails nervously. "I don't know." _Real helpful, Alec._

"Hm..." Magnus hummed in thought, glancing up before seeming to get an idea. "What kinds of movies do you like?"

"Movies...?" Alec shifted his weight from foot to foot. "Uh... I like Marvel films cause Max- my younger brother- makes me watch them with him. And... action is cool."

Magnus pulled out his phone. "So, wanna see a movie?"

"Oh, uh, sure," Alec responded choppily, watching as Magnus pulled up movie times on his phone. He beckoned for Alec to come over, and together they discussed movies and movie times, and ended up picking an action film at 3:30. It turned out Alec and Magnus shared a favorite actor, so they indulged in conversation until Magnus suggested they begin lessons. As usual, they did their warm up dance, and Magnus halted when it was over.

"Today, we'll focus on weight shift," Magnus explained, going from casual to professional at the snap of a finger. "Most of the exercises we've done so far don't require a partner, but now it's necessary. I will be dancing with you nearly the entire lesson, Alec."

Alec nodded quickly, and his cheeks warmed. For some reason, this made him even more embarrassed than expected. Magnus continued speaking,

"We must be aware of each other's presence and how our moves affect our movement and balance," Magnus explained. "Therefore in order to lead someone else in a dance, its important to know your body axis and where the balance is, and how your weight is distributed along this axis. Weight shift is important in every dance, but especially in Tango, since the couple is continuously embracing each other." Magnus pointed to his body as he spoke. "The balance of the body starts with the back of the neck and ends with the feet, going through the torso. In order to displace your partner's balance, you must know how their weight is shifted on that axis." Magnus stepped forward and placed his hands on Alec's shoulders. "When you shift body axis to a single foot..." Magnus led Alec's body to one side, "Your weight will be placed on that foot and the other will be free to execute independent movements, keeping the balance over the foot that is supporting the body."

With that, Magnus began stepping back, and Alec used all the techniques he could remember as he followed Magnus, surprised at how easily he was moving around Magnus's feet. "See how I'm displacing your weight to guide you?"

Alec nodded, blushing a bit at how his breath warmed Alec's face. _He's so close to me._ He could smell the peppermint of Magnus's breath as he spoke. Magnus smiled a little. "Good. Now that you're noticing this, we'll talk about marking. Do you remember our lesson on supported ocho?"

Alec nodded quickly. Magnus continued. "Good. You practiced against the wall. This time, you're going to use those same techniques, but instead of a wall you will be using me. I will be standing still and moving my hand to indicate you where to move, but you will be showing me how you move and what to do. This way, I'll get an idea of how you move individually and can direct the dance easier. Does that make sense?"

"I think so," Alec processed the information and nodded again. Magnus stepped close once again, with about 8 inches between their bodies. Mangus had his right arm around Alec's torso loosely, but Magnus's left arm was by his side at rest, and Alec had no idea what to do with the hand that was usually held by Magnus.

"Put your left hand on my shoulder and your right hand on my chest," Magnus smiled encouragingly, and Alec felt his face turn a new shade of red as he placed his palm over Magnus's heart. He felt it thumping underneath his palm, and he adverted his eyes in embarrassment. Either he was imagining it, or Magnus's heart sped up a bit when he looked away.

"Bring your feet together," Magnus instructed, his voice wavering slightly. "And now always try to keep your torso facing me. When you move, I'll be pressing my hand to your shoulder-blade so that your weight is displaced to your toes. When I do this indication, put your weight on your toes and lift your heels. When you feel my forearm pressing into your shoulder, that's the indication to use the same movement you executed against the wall. This will make your body move to the right and your left foot will move forward." Magnus looked into Alec's eyes. "Do you understand? It will make sense as we do it."

"I'll try," Alec smiled and began moving, feeling Magnus's hand shift in position as Alec moved back and forth, pivoting his feet and keeping his torso facing Magnus's. He was staring at the spot on the floor behind Magnus, trying his best to concentrate until he looked up into Magnus's eyes. He blushed and forced himself to look away again. _Too distracting._

"Wow, you did great," Magnus smiled, "We can add arms now." He placed his hands gently on Alec's shoulders, not quite holding him, with his arms parallel and equidistant from Alec's body. "Place your arms on the outside of mine and put your hands on my forearms." Alec did as asked, gripping Magnus's biceps and trying not to rub them. He could feel how hard they were, and a million dirty thoughts spiraled through his head, but he swallowed and dismissed them quickly as Magnus continued to explain their movements. "You will execute the ocho movement and I'll lead you. First I'll press your shoulders and you'll begin moving. Upon doing this I will displace your weight and my torso will turn with yours. When I feel your left foot has hit the ground, I will lead you to the right and so on and so forth. Your hands should move slightly on my arms the entire time, so just don't squeeze them. You have to trust me and not feel like you'll fall." Alec nodded quickly. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, I'm ready," Alec responded and began to move. Magnus's torso followed his, and their eyes were locked before Alec inwardly screamed and stared at Magnus's forehead instead. He continued their movements, simply allowing Magnus to lead him as he recalled all the important aspects of dancing, like flexing his knees and pivoting, placing weight on the correct parts of the foot and more.

"It always surprises me how fast you learn," Magnus murmured and smiled. "Great. So, now we're going to dance, but it will include everything we've learned so far." He strode over to the radio and popped in a cassette, which began playing Italian music. Magnus scooped Alec up into his arms, and Alec quickly remembered posture and balance around his racing heart.

"Ready?" Magnus asked and Alec gave him a curt nod in response. With that, Magnus began to lead, and Alec swiftly followed.

It shocked Alec how effortlessly he moved, how he directed movement from one point in his body that rippled through the rest of him, how his feet didn't stumble. They twirled about the room, and soon enough their movements became natural enough for Alec to look up at Magnus. As soon as Magnus smiled, Alec finally tripped and fell face-first into Magnus's chest.

"Oh my god, I-I'm sorry," Alec fumbled and jerked back instantly, his heart racing after their collision. He felt Magnus's warmth, inhaled his scent and heard his heartbeat. It wasn't nearly as hot as the first time they lost control of their dance, but Alec was almost more embarrassed remembering it now than he was when it actually happened. He brushed himself off and glanced at Magnus.

"It's not an issue, Alec," Magnus smiled with ease and simply took Alec in his arms again, continuing their dance until rehearsal had ended.

"Looks like we're done for today," Magnus scooped his bag onto his shoulder, watching Alec as he put his hoodie back on. "Movie time?"

"Sure," Alec flashed a smile at Magnus, stepping out of their room and allowing Magnus to turn off the lights and lock the door. Together they left the building and got in Magnus's car, heading off to the theater on their second date together.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec visits Magnus's apartment for the first time. He also meets the Chairman.

“Wow, uh… it’s very…”

Alec blinked a couple times to take in his surroundings. He didn’t realize that not only was his boyfriend incredibly hot, knew how to dance and had a great sense of humor, but apparently he was filthy rich.

Alec had just set foot for the first time in Magnus’s apartment after their movie and dinner date. It was late and Alec texted Izzy to tell her he was staying the night at Magnus’s place- he shortly got a response hinting at their actives followed by a winky face. Naturally, Alec blushed and refused to respond with more than, _‘Shut up, we’re not going that far tonight. See you tomorrow.’_

But this place- Magnus’s apartment- was not at all what Alec expected. He was dazzled by the cleanliness of, well, everything. He hastily removed his gym shoes after noticing the polished wooden floors, setting them carefully off to the side and padding into the place. 

“Very?” Magnus chuckled, and Alec realized he didn’t finish his thoughts beforehand.

“Oh, uh,” Alec was still speechless as he stood, observing the marble countertops and simple white cabinets. The fridge, microwave, oven and dishwasher were shining sterling silver- and so were the bowls of cat food and water on the floor near the door. “It’s really shiny.”

“I’m not fond of filthy surroundings,” Magnus sighed, as if it was normal to have an apartment this perfect and clean. Alec was also fascinated by the dim lighting- it was perfect with the city lights outside. Bright lights were never needed with such a colorful, active city as New York.

“Chairman!” Magnus seemed delighted, and Alec turned, seeing a tiny kitten waddle into the kitchen area. He turned his big amber eyes up at Magnus- a color strangely similar to Magnus’s own eyes- and stretched his jaw, meowing loudly. Magnus chuckled and scooped the cat into his arms, scratching behind his short, pointy ears.

“So this is the famed Chairman Meow I hear so much about?” Alec smiled, stepping over to Magnus and Chairman. Chairman’s pupils blew up in wide circles, and his ears flattened. Alec paused, feeling that maybe he approached too quickly.

“Yes, this is him,” Magnus smiled warmly, gently rubbing his fingers over Chairman’s striped forehead. “Calm down, he’s someone you’ll have to get used to,” he cooed to the cat, who’s ears flicked in acknowledgement. He was tense, but he regarded Alec with what seemed like ease. Alec stepped forward again, not daring to pet him just yet, but simply observing.

“Hello, Chairman Meow,” Alec spoke softly, “I’m Alec.”

Chairman stared him down in silence, simply blinking. Alec laughed a bit and straightened up. “He’s cute. How old is he?”

“Two years old,” Magnus scratched under Chairman’s chin, making him close his eyes and tilt his head back, purring contentedly.

“Two?” Alec cocked his head and glanced back at Chairman. “He’s… pretty small for a two year old cat. Isn’t that supposed to be an adult age for cats?”

“Yes,” Magnus answered, then lifted one of Chairman’s white legs. “See? His legs are very short. He’s a munchkin cat. This is as large as he will get.”

“That’s adorable,” Alec smiled one of his crooked smiles, “So that’s why he waddles funny?”

“Shh!” Magnus gently covered Chairman’s ears, “It’s a sensitive topic. He’s self conscious.”

Startled by the outburst, Alec raised his hands defensively. “Ah, sorry, I won’t mention it again.” Magnus smiled in thanks and set Chairman down, who waved his bushy white-and-gray tail and slid off to the living room. Curious, Alec followed the cat into the apartment, watching as he hopped onto the couch. Despite the cat’s presence in the apartment, Magnus had a white couch. And it was white. Cat hair was no where to be seen on it, which was mind boggling to Alec.

“How do you keep the cat hair off of that couch?” Alec blinked in shock, pointing at the couch, and Magnus winked.

“It’s a secret.” He went to put the leftovers from dinner in the fridge, and Alec gave him a funny look. He then turned back to the couch and saw a big painting above it. The painting was a soft lavender color with what seemed like clouds of silver and white. It wasn’t of anything in particular- it just looked like someone was enjoying their paints and made a nice design to hang up in a home, for the sake of putting things on the walls.

“This is nice,” Alec commented once Magnus came to his side, also looking at the painting like he forgot it was there.

“Thank you,” Magnus smiled. “Did it myself. I used to be really into painting, but now I don’t do it as much anymore. It’s a fun hobby I would return to, though, if I had a studio of some sort…”

Alec couldn’t imagine someone as neat and tidy as Magnus to be into a messy hobby like painting, but Magnus always seemed to be an artistic type, so it made sense to him. He regarded the painting in silence for a moment longer, then continued wandering through the apartment. He saw another small painting hanging up behind the kitchen, this time with pale green hues and some black horizontal lines darting across it.

Magnus trailed close behind Alec. “There’s a closet over there,” he commented when Alec noticed the second painting. Alec nodded and looked the opposite direction. More paintings hung on the wall. “There’s Chairman’s room.”

“Chairman has a room?” Alec raised an eyebrow, looking at the cat in question, who was perched on the top of the couch and watching Magnus and Alec with a cool gaze.

“It’s just this,” Magnus walked over to the double doors, which were closed- however, there was a cat door installed near the bottom- and opened them up. Inside was a scratching post, a bin of toys, and a very… luxurious cat bed. It looked exactly like a person’s bed but cat-sized, with the bed frame made of the same kind of wood Alec was seeing around the house. There were the same wooden steps lining up to the ceiling, where there was something like a walk-way. Chairman could climb up there and walk around and hide in the various cubes and dips that were placed inside. It truly was a cat paradise. 

“Just this?” Alec raised an eyebrow, turning to look at Magnus. “This is cat heaven. Chairman is very lucky.”

“He deserves it,” Magnus simply stated, and they left the room. Next to it was a small closet area where the shoes were kept, as well as Chairman’s litter box and a few house necessities. Just before that closet was a small dining set with some vases placed on the table, filled with pale purple flowers. Alec also took notice of the purple pillows on the couch- the theme seemed to be white, wooden and purple.

“Let me show you the bedrooms,” Magnus offered, and Alec followed him as he lead Alec to the first room. It was surprisingly empty, with a large window on one wall with the middle wall being made of painted white bricks. On that wall was a flatscreen TV and before it was what looked like a couch, but it clearly could be pulled out to a bed. The walls were painted a light lavender, as expected- and in the corner was a white desk with a lamp, a few books on it and a chair. In the corner was a closet- Alec was curious of its contents, so he stepped over to it.

“What’s inside?” He questioned, and Magnus nodded for him to open it. Once he did, he saw a collection of CD’s, DVD’s and books.

“You can stay in here tonight, if you want,” Magnus spoke carefully, unsure of what Alec had planned, and Alec instantly felt his heart thud hard on his chest.

“Uh, yeah, we’ll see,” Alec stammered uncertainly. He wasn’t thinking of… what Izzy was implying just yet, but maybe they could cuddle together? Alec was still not used to the constant physical contact, for it made his skin hot and his heart race- he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to stay calm in Magnus’s arms for an entire night without having a heart attack about how close Magnus’s lips were or how his knee was kind of between his thighs…

“Why is the…” Alec spoke up, and Magnus seemed to suddenly pay attention, as if he was spacing out. Alec gave him a curious look before continuing. “The room is big. Why is it so empty?”

“Oh,” Magnus nodded a bit, “Well. To accommodate the bed, if it is needed, for one,” he explained, beckoning to the furniture, “and also to accommodate the living room furniture for when I have parties.”

“You throw parties?” Alec questioned. What came to mind was a bunch of well-dressed refined adults having fine wines and cheeses, talking quietly and intelligently about things like artwork and music.

“Yes, quite often, actually,” Magnus chuckled. “Maybe you should come to one sometime, if you were up for it…”

“Uh, yeah, maybe,” Alec chuckled nervously, not sure if he’d fit in with all the fancy, high-class citizens that have befriended Magnus. “What kind of parties are they?”

“Well, you know,” Magnus struggled to explain, “Like. Dark, with colorful lights, loud music, dancing, drinking?”

Alec was frozen in his place for a moment. “You throw those kinds of parties? _Here?”_

“Yes?” Magnus laughed uncertainly, unsure of why Alec was so surprised. Alec gaped at him- the man must be completely unaware of how freakishly clean his apartment is! Alec could not picture things like confetti and plastic cups and beer bottles and possible stains all over the apartment.

“Is that… not okay?” Magnus said cautiously, afraid he stepped over some unspoken line.

“Oh! No, I mean, it’s fine,” Alec confirmed, noticing the visible relief in Magnus’s shoulders. “I just have never been to a party like that so I don’t know if I could go, maybe, but like, its fine if you like those things. It’s just, this place is so nice, and I can’t imagine it getting trashed every weekend. How do you manage to clean it up to be so spotless and shiny?”

“That is a good question,” Magnus chuckled. “I have no idea how to answer you. It just happens. I begin cleaning and I can’t stop, and the place looks like brand new. But if you don’t attend a party here, come over the day afterwards. When I’m hungover, I refuse to budge or do really anything, so it looks… entirely different.”

“I can’t even imagine,” Alec shook his head, and after a moment of silence stretched between them, Magnus perked up, stepping towards the door.

“Come, let me show you my bedroom,” Magnus guided Alec out of the room. They passed through the living room and to the other room, which was painted a pale sea-green color and had a large, king-sized bed with poofy pale blue blankets on it. On the bed were various pillows of shades of blues and greens, and in the corner was a pale gray chair. Above the bed were framed pictures of Chairman Meow, Magnus and Chairman Meow, and of just Magnus. They looked like professionally taken photographs, all in black and white.

“Are you a model or something?” Alec blurted out, then felt his cheeks burn. “I-I mean. These pictures.”

Magnus smiled, “My friend Catarina is a photographer. She wanted to take pictures of me and Chairman.”

Alec smiled and then turned to see the two large windows- one on the farthest wall, and the other on the left wall. Behind him was a closet full of Magnus’s various outfits. 

“Well, this is all very nice,” Alec settled his eyes on Magnus again, “I’m seriously in shock that you’re this rich. This place is huge.”

Magnus chuckled a bit, looking down at his feet. “Well, I’ve made money selling art, teaching dance lessons and sometimes singing in local bars. My parents were well off so they left me with plenty. On top of this, I do have a part-time job as a waiter, Mondays through Wednesdays…”

“Jesus, you do a lot,” Alec stared in surprise, and Magnus turned, beckoning Alec to follow him to the living room. They sat on the couch, and Chairman scurried off into his room. “You sing, though?”

“Yes,” Magnus ran a hand through his spiked hair. “I play the piano as well.”

“Who even are you,” Alec laughed, and Magnus returned the smile. 

“I’m Magnus Bane, your boyfriend,” Magnus joked, holding out his hand for a handshake. Alec looked down at the hand, then back up at Magnus’s goofy smile. In that moment, Alec felt an overwhelming urge to kiss him.

_Just do it,_ Alec thought, _what are you waiting for?_ ((A/N: nOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE! YESTERDAY YOU SAID TOMORROW-- someone shoot me))

Though, as soon as he leaned forward slightly, Alec felt his heart speed up and his throat go dry. Nerves caught up to him, and he found himself staring at Magnus with wide eyes. Magnus was raising an eyebrow at him.

“Alec? Is everything okay?” He tilted his head innocently, and Alec felt heat rush to his cheeks in embarrassment.

“Y-yeah, just…” Alec trailed off, his eyes settling on Magnus’s lips before he finally worked up the courage. He raised a hand and placed it on Magnus’s jaw, running his thumb over the prickly stubble and finally leaning in, pressing their lips together slowly. Magnus made a small hum in pleasant surprise, then moved his lips against Alec’s, quickly obtaining control of the kiss and leaning in. Alec shivered at how gently Magnus’s lips caressed his own- how they seemed to move together so slowly, so passionately, without any tongue or teeth involved yet… just lips and it was already driving Alec into a heated state of mind.

_Damn, getting turned on so fast,_ Alec thought with slight shame, but he was enjoying every moment of it. He ran his hand back to Magnus’s hair, trailing his fingers along the soft hairs near the top of his neck. Magnus placed a hand on Alec’s waist, rubbing small circles with his thumb as he slowly slipped his tongue inside, making Alec shudder and whine softly.

Magnus tasted far too addicting, and his scent of sandalwood enveloped Alec entirely. He gripped Magnus’s hair as if trying to cling onto his stability, but it caused Magnus to grunt slightly and move faster, to press his fingertips into Alec’s side and nip at his lips. Alec’s body flushed in reaction, and he shivered at the sudden tingly heat that traveled along his skin. As Magnus sucked on his bottom lip and pulled back, Alec gazed at him with bleary eyes and tried to regain his breathing.

“Alec…” Magnus began, his amber eyes now a dark hue, pupils blown wide with desire. The sight was captivating, and Alec found himself stuck in his place, swallowing and loosening his grip on Magnus’s hair.

“Y-yes?” He breathed, momentarily paralyzed by how unbearably sexy Magnus was in that moment- exhaling Alec’s name with that husky tone, with slightly disheveled hair, lusty eyes and lips shiny with saliva… Alec was completely in awe.

“If you keep it up, you might find yourself in my bed tonight,” Magnus murmured, and Alec’s heart flipped in his chest- from both the way he was turned on by his perfect voice, and from nerves as well.

Sensing the flash of uncertainty in Alec’s eyes, Magnus smiled softly. “Only willingly, of course. I wouldn’t want to fight you.” Magnus lifted a hand to grip Alec’s bicep and rub it slightly. “You may appear a bit scrawny, but you definitely could kick some ass if needed. Like a ninja, or something.”

“I’m not a ninja,” Alec grumbled, puffing his cheeks when they tinged pinker. “I just keep myself in shape.”

“Obviously,” Magnus commented with a purr in his tone, moving his hand down to trail along Alec’s quivering ab muscles beneath his hoodie. Alec shuddered even more, then an unstoppable smile broke out across his face. The sight paused Magnus’s hand, and Alec was in a fit of giggles.

“S-stop that,” he warned, his hands shooting up defensively, and Magnus cocked his head, placing his hand back down and wiggling his fingers lightly over Alec’s core. Sure enough, Alec squirmed and yelped, a big grin frozen on his face.

“Hey!” Alec protested when Magnus placed both hands on his torso, allowing his fingers to dance along Alec’s body and press and brush against his sides. Alec was quickly a mess, laughing hysterically and pushing desperately at Magnus, yet shaking so hard with his laughter that he couldn’t muster the strength to really push Magnus away. Tears bunched in the corners of his eyes, and after Magnus got his fair share of amusement, he backed off and allowed Alec to slump down and regain his breath, chuckles breaking his heavy breathing every so often.

“Y-you’re so cruel,” Alec sighed, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. Magnus’s heart was blooming with warmth at the sight of his adorable boyfriend, who was apparently ticklish and also apparently had the most endearing laugh of everyone he’s ever met. 

“So are you,” Magnus retorted playfully, and when Alec gave him a questioning, confused gaze, Magnus smirked. “You’re too cute for your own good. It’s not fair, at all.”

“I could say the same about your attractiveness,” Alec blurted, then blushed at his own words. “I mean…” he rushed to take back his words, but then thought better of it, knowing damn well he spoke the truth. Magnus’s eyes glinted at the compliment, and he crawled over Alec’s body, peppering kisses along his neck and jaw, reaching his ear and giving it a small nip. Alec’s body jerked in response, a small squeak leaking from his lips.

“You say that as if you’re not sexy,” Magnus whispered into his ear, “You have no idea, Alec… just how sexy you truly are.” Alec’s heart slammed his chest, and he lay there, eyes wide and body temperature rising as Magnus chuckled and got off of him, sitting causally back and observing the mess he had made. Alec scrambled to sit up as well, clearing his throat. The tension remained in between them, but Alec wasn’t quite ready to pursue it.

“Do you want to watch some TV?” Magnus offered softly, and Alec nodded quickly. Magnus stood, reaching over and ruffling Alec’s hair. “Go into the room, I’ll make popcorn.”

“Sounds good,” Alec smiled gratefully at Magnus for understanding. Even though they had popcorn at the show earlier, Alec was more than willing for more of the addictive salty snack. He stood and found himself wandering into the bedroom, where he got comfortable on the makeshift couch and flipped through the channels, trying to find something interesting for both of them. He eventually settled on National Geographic, where a program on the great coral reefs was explaining the various species of marine life and how humans have been saving them for many years from going extinct or losing their habitat. Magnus settled next to him and placed the popcorn between them, creating just the right amount of space Alec needed along with the comfortable silence they shared while watching the program. Besides the casual comments they made while watching the show, they were both relatively silent, at least until commercial breaks came. They took those opportunities to discuss their interest in nature and wildlife.

By the second commercial break of a program about the grizzly bears of Alaska began, Alec was having trouble keeping his eyes open. Magnus took notice and collected the bowl of kernels that never popped and the few burnt popcorn pieces that were neglected by both parties. “I’m assuming you need to borrow pajamas?”

“Oh, yeah, if its okay,” Alec ducked his head shyly, not liking to be a burden on anyone else. Magnus nodded and left the room, returning shortly after with a soft cotton t-shirt and red plaid boxer shorts.

“Will these be okay?” Magnus offered, and Alec nodded, taking them in his arms. He then dismissed himself to the bathroom, which he had not even seen yet during his stay. It was, as expected, clean as a whistle and shiny as a diamond. He did his business and changed into the pajamas, and once he pulled up the boxers felt himself blush slightly.

_These are Magnus’s boxers…_

A few dirty images passed through Alec’s mind, and he turned to the sink, splashing cool water onto his face to calm himself as he exited the bathroom. By the time he returned, the couch had transformed into a bed, and Magnus was busy making sure the blankets were arranged properly and the pillows were fluffy enough. He peeked up at Alec when he entered the bedroom.

“I hope its comfortable enough,” Magnus expressed. “If you are uncomfortable at all, please let me know, we can switch places.”

“I couldn’t kick you out of your own bed,” Alec scratched the back of his head, shifting from foot to foot. “That’s really rude…”

“Not if I say its okay,” Magnus straightened up. “Truly, though. It can be three in the morning and I will willingly switch with you.” Alec was taken aback by his kindness, and a fluttering warmth made his heart bubble.

“Thank you,” Alec settled on words of gratitude, and hugged himself to shield from the sudden chill in the room. Magnus noticed his goosebumps and stepped closer, gently wrapping his arms around Alec’s body.

“Sleep well, okay?” Magnus murmured into his hair. “If you need anything at all, I am next door.” He rubbed Alec’s back, and Alec allowed his eyes to close. He breathed in the sandalwood and dewey sent Magnus had, leaning into his comforting warmth and wanting to stay there for ages. “Goodnight, Alec.”

“Goodnight,” Alec responded sleepily, looking up at Magnus and feeling himself warm up when Magnus pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. His heart thumped faster when he leaned down and kissed Alec’s lips as well, then gave Alec a soft smile and released him from his arms, stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him.

When Alec settled in his bed for the night, he curled up tight and thought about Magnus’s arms and his scent and decided he couldn’t be more pleased with the man he was now calling his boyfriend.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning, the sexual tension is a little too high to ignore. ;)

“Good morning,” Magnus’s voice chided as soon as Alec stepped out of the room, running his fingers through his terribly messy bed head. Alec’s blue eyes flickered up to meet Magnus’s honey colored eyes, blinking before yawning again.

“Morning,” Alec mumbled, shuffling to the counter and plopping down at one of the taller chairs. He didn’t even notice the plate of fried eggs and bacon placed in front of him until the scents made him open his eyes further. 

“Whoa, you made breakfast,” Alec observed.

“I’m assuming you’re not a vegetarian…?” Magnus asked carefully, eyeing the bacon on the plate, but Alec picked it up and chewed on it.

“I’ll take that as an answer,” Magnus grinned as Alec stuffed his face. “Is orange juice okay?”

“Mmh,” Alec responded with a stuffed mouth, and Magnus poured him a glass, setting it gently before Alec’s table with a few swift movements. Alec was going to question his perfection before he remembered Magnus was a part-time waiter.

“Anything else you’d like?” Magnus sent him a charming smile, and Alec blinked again, now aware of the waiter-facade he was pulling off. 

“No, just the check,” Alec responded lightly, and Magnus nodded before pausing.

“Hey,” he whined, and Alec grinned wide and cut a piece of his egg. 

“I noticed your automatic ‘waiter-mode’ so I decided to mess with you,” Alec explained, then lifted the egg to his mouth and ate eagerly. Magnus began cleaning up until everything was spotless again. Watching him drift about the kitchen, Alec raised an eyebrow.

“Are you not going to eat?” He questioned after finishing his orange juice. Magnus shook his head has he gently took the dirtied plates from the table, placing them in the dishwasher.

“I ate before you got up,” Magnus explained. Chairman Meow hopped up onto the counter, padding about and watching Magnus arrange the dishwasher.

“It was really good,” Alec leaned forward in his chair. “You’re good at everything.”

“Not really,” Magnus laughed a bit, and Alec smiled at the sound. Magnus clearly was complimented and the sound was, well… cute.

Blushing at his thoughts, Alec stood up. “Can I shower?” 

“No,” Magnus responded sternly, starling Alec and making him freeze in the spot. Magnus looked up, a grin splitting across his face as he snickered.

“Of course you can, I’m joking,” Magnus waved a hand. “Towels are on the rack.”

“Uh huh,” Alec walked around the counter and gently pushed Magnus, making him laugh more. After admiring Magnus’s smile, Alec went to step to the bathroom. As he turned, Magnus gently brushed his fingers on Alec’s forearm. Feeling the gentle touch, Alec paused and turned around again, breath hitching when Magnus’s catlike eyes were only inches from his own. Fingers lifted Alec’s chin, holding him in place.

“Your bed head is adorable,” Magnus purred, making Alec’s heart stutter and his face flush.

“H-Hey, no, it’s weird,” Alec protested, fidgeting to create space, but Magnus leaned forward, placing a soft and short kiss on his lips.

“It’s cute is what it is,” Magnus restated, kissing Alec’s nose before backing off and turning away like nothing happened. Alec gripped his fingers and staggered into the bathroom before Magnus could get a better look at how flustered he got.

When the door closed behind him, he fiddled with the shower controls and chewed his lip. His heart was still pounding from the small instance. Magnus had done more… seductive things to him before, and yet, the little displays of affection were driving Alec up the wall, making his heart flip and swell. 

His mind lingered on Magnus throughout the shower, and when he stepped out, he realized all he had were the pajamas. Sighing, he realized he would have to go retreat his dirty clothes from the guest room. He wrapped a fluffy pale gray towel around his waist, grabbing a smaller towel to dry his hair as well. He placed it on top of his head and rubbed around, letting it sit there as he ducked out of the bathroom.

When he emerged from the door, he wasn’t expecting Magnus to just be sitting on the couch petting Chairman Meow. He was planning on casually walking to the room, getting his clothes and changing. But their eyes locked and Alec felt his heart skip a beat, his breath leaving his lungs fast enough to make him pause in his tracks. He noticed Magnus’s eyes flicker and dilate, and a hot flush rushed to his cheeks and ears as well as a similar sensation rushing south.

“D… Did you need any clothes?” Magnus asked, a small stutter on his breath, and Alec felt himself grip the towel that hung around his face tighter. His heart was ramming his chest and he unconsciously fidgeted when he noticed Magnus’s eyes do a… rather slow overview of his bare torso. 

“I can wear the… dirty ones from yesterday…” Alec responded just as breathlessly, feeling his fingers shake a little. Magnus nodded, quickly ducking his eyes away, and Alec took that as a cue to move to the next room. He was slow to begin, but once he took a couple steps he scurried into the room and closed the door behind him, knowing Magnus’s eyes lifted to follow him again. 

Magnus was too busy replaying the image of Alec’s ridiculously in shape body in his mind, complete with droplets of water rolling over his abs and in the dip of his collarbone to notice that Chairman Meow was thrashing in his lap and meowing in protest due to the lack of petting. Magnus began to move his hand again, once again massaging Chairman’s sides with his fingertips, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. The way Alec’s eyes were so magnificently blue against the jet black of his hair… how gorgeous the bright flush of red embarrassment looked on his pale skin, how cute it was when he seemed to shrink into himself self-consciously, hiding behind the towel like he had no body to be proud of… Magnus shuddered a little, biting the inside of his mouth as he thought about bringing out more confidence in Alec. Alec’s shy nature was adorable, and Magnus adored everything about Alec. But he still felt Alec had potential to be more proud of himself, and he would do his best to make Alec more comfortable in his own skin.

He just had some… fantasies about Alec being a little rough, demanding things from Magnus…

His thought was quickly interrupted when Alec opened the door slowly, causing a rather loud squeaking sound.

“Alec,” Magnus blurted out, but he really didn’t know what to say. Alec blinked at him. 

“Uh,” Magnus’s next word was clearly very intelligent. He mentally thwacked himself in the head. “Are you free today as well?”

Alec came over to the couch, sitting down next to Magnus. “I have work at 1,” he informed, “but until then I am free.”

“Would you like to take a walk?” Magnus offered. “The Brooklyn Bridge is right down the street and its a rather nice area…”

“Sure,” Alec smiled a bit, and Magnus gently coaxed Chairman off of his lap, setting the small cat onto the couch cushion next to him and standing. Alec followed Magnus to the door and put his shoes on. When Magnus stood and went to open the door, Alec surprised both himself and Magnus by placing his hand on the door to keep it closed. Magnus froze in his place, peeking over his shoulder to see Alec with his eyes cast downwards, his face a gentle pink.

“Alec?” Magnus asked carefully, blinking and turning around in the tight space that was between them. Once he had turned, Alec looked up at Magnus, only allowing Magnus to see his expression for a heartbeat before stepping forward, gripping Magnus’s shirt collar in his hands and yanking him down to meet Alec’s lips.

Magnus made a small surprised sound, but nevertheless melted into the kiss, blood rushing like fire through his veins instantly. He wrapped an arm around Alec’s waist and pulled him against him, causing Alec to shiver at the heat that sparked from the contact. Magnus titled his head, sliding his lips along Alec’s before meshing them together more. Alec’s hands shook slightly, but he let go of Magnus’s shirt, moving his hands to grip Magnus’s shoulders. He pulled himself closer and gasped a little when Magnus slipped his tongue along Alec’s lips, eagerly opening his mouth. His tongue was hot and tasted minty, like he just ate a breath mint or something… Alec liked the clean, crisp taste; it was fitting of Magnus.

Magnus nipped at Alec’s bottom lip, making him jerk his hips up into Magnus’s, and that movement made Magnus shudder. He broke their kiss only slightly as he changed their position, shoving Alec up against the door quickly and recapturing his lips desperately. Alec let out a whimper- he actually _whimpered-_ and it made Magnus a little dazed with desire. He moved his arms to grab Alec’s wrists and pin them against the door, kneading between his legs with one knee and sucking harder at Alec’s lip when Alec squirmed and groaned. He pulled back, dipping his head to press open-mouthed wet kisses to Alec’s jaw and neck, moving down to his collarbone and up to his ear, breathing against it hotly and slipping his tongue along the edge. A sweet, embarrassed sound spilled from Alec’s lips, and he squeezed his eyes shut after the sound broke free, trembling when Magnus bit at the skin. 

“Alec, you’re…” Magnus breathed, lacing their fingers together and still pressing Alec’s hands against the door. “You’re very alluring…” 

“Wh-what’s that supposed to- _ahh-_ mean…” Alec let out a small sound when Magnus bit his jaw mid-sentence. He gripped Magnus’s hands, blinking shyly at Magnus and slipping downwards along the door. Magnus nudged between his thighs again, making Alec hitch up and catch his breath in his throat. 

One of his hands was freed, and Alec’s jaw was gently turned to face Magnus. His fingers gripped his chin gently as he gazed directly into Alec’s eyes, making Alec hold his breath. Not only were they incredibly beautiful and unique, but… his gaze was darkened and his pupils were blown wide.

“It means I want to do unspeakable things to you,” Magnus spoke lowly, his voice verging on husky and making Alec shudder from the sound of it alone.

“Magnus…” Alec whimpered, feeling that his jeans were now tighter when he shifted his position. He leaned in again, pressing their lips together in another hot kiss, pressing them closer to one another when a dull vibration made them pause, followed by, _‘Be my bad boy, be my man, be my weekend lover, but don’t be my friend!’_

Magnus raised an eyebrow at him, and he would of been pissed off if the song choice wasn’t so hilarious. “Cascada? Really?”

“I-I’ll explain later!” Alec fumbled with his phone, unlocking it with unsteady fingers and answering. “What,” he said a little quickly.

“Hey, grumpy gills,” Jace chimed. “When are you getting home?”

“Later,” Alec snipped, irritated that he was cockblocked by his brother’s obnoxious call. “Why couldn’t you text me?”

“I missed your lovely voice,” he cooed jokingly, and it might’ve made Alec’s heart skip had he not been making out with the world’s most attractive man. “No, but really, I want to know if you need a ride to work today.”

“Ah, uh…” Alec pondered for a moment, trying to regain his thoughts after they were all muddled from kissing Magnus. “I can walk today…”

“Okay,” Jace chirped. “Good. I wanna go on a date with the hot ginger.”

“I don’t think Clary will appreciate your derogative language,” Alec responded flatly.

“You sound pissy,” Jace remarked. “Did I interrupt- ohhh, wait. You’re at Magnus’s.”

“Izzy told you?” Alec nearly rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, sorry, I didn’t realize you’re probably getting some,” Jace muttered. “My apologies, you two can continue.”

“Well, it’s hard after you set that freakish ringtone to your caller ID,” Alec huffed, and he noticed Magnus smirk at that. He must’ve put two and two together.

“Silence your phone, duh,” Jace snickered. “Alright, I had my cockblocking fun for the day. See you later.”

“I’ll get revenge,” Alec promised and hung up immediately in fear of Jace’s response. He shoved his phone back in his pocket, sighing and running a hand through his hair when he noticed Magnus had stepped away to fill Chairman’s bowl with fresh water. 

“Magnus, I…”

“It’s alright,” Magnus peered up at Alec before standing up again, placing his hands on his hips. “Obnoxious little brothers can’t be helped.”

“Yeah, tell me about it,” Alec grit his teeth, then shifted from foot to foot. “Can we still go on that walk?”

“Of course,” Magnus stepped over, leaning to Alec’s ear and whispering, “But I would love to continue where we left off sometime…”

Alec flushed red again, looking at Magnus’s face and swallowing before looking back down at his feet. “A-Agreed.”

Magnus chuckled and kissed his cheek, then opened the door. Alec followed close behind, looking wearily at Magnus’s empty hand and considered holding it. The thought of someone seeing them made him nervous, so he stuck his hands in his hoodie pockets instead as they exited the building and out into the warm August air.


	11. A/N: Discontinued

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Explanation to the discontinuation of this fic.

Hey everyone, so as you can guess, I've given up. I've made everyone wait a bit too long for my liking and since that day have not felt an _ounce_ of inspiration to continue this story at all. 

I just want to say thank you for reading what I have posted! Your support meant a lot to me and helped me get as far as I did. I planned on making this work much longer than it is, and was only just beginning to delve into Malec's relationship... but I don't know, I lost my spark for this story. I do love TMI and am watching Shadowhunters, I still adore Malec, but recently I've been swept away with other fandoms and projects that are more important to me. 

Regardless, if you want to continue this story in your own words or re-write a dance AU in your own way, go for it!! 

For those curious, I was basing all lessons off of this video series. This video, lessons #6, would of been the focus of this chapter or the next: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRn0oO66qbs

The guy's voice is kinda funny. And not to mention HOW MANY TIMES I lost that link and almost shit myself because I didn't know how else to have Magnus teach Alec. I literally had to recover months worth of my browser history to find it again before I realized... why don't I just search up "tango lessons" and I found it in about 3 minutes. Welp.

By the end of the story, this was gonna happen, which was the original post that inspired this story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZa2DoMdFG0#t=18

I suppose Magnus would be the dude and Alec the girl?  I dunno, imagine it your own way!

Anyways, I apologize for giving up on this story but I hope you can understand, I don't want to write you all a half-assed story and waste your time. 

I hope you enjoy the pictures, too! I did work hard to make the story realistic. I'm sorry my plans fell through. But either way, best of luck on finding other fanfics out there, and thanks again for reading! 


End file.
